


Persona 4: Kizuna

by Windryder1



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Amagi, April Showers 2015, Comedy, Drama, F/F, F/M, Family, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, Hanamura, Kujikawa, M/M, Multi, Narukami, Other, Profound Bond, Satonaka, Shadows (Persona 4), Shirogane - Freeform, Shrinking, Soul Bond, Tatsumi - Freeform, Teddie - Freeform, Vore, Yu fic, Yôkai, cat/human hybrid, dog/human hybrid, fox/human hybrid, persona 4 - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-12
Updated: 2018-02-22
Packaged: 2018-03-22 11:58:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 44
Words: 199,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3728104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Windryder1/pseuds/Windryder1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(AU) Yu Narukami inadvertently becomes soul-bound to a 15" tall fox-boy yokai abandoned at the Tatsuhime shrine. He's propelled into an adventure where names hold power, Shadows eat Animal Demons, and those who are shown on the Midnight Channel end up dead... with Animal Demon traits. Who is doing this and why? "Kizuna"-The Bonded. ((See "How to Train Your Animal Demon" series- Learning to be Human.))</p><p>The fight of one to the grace of the other<br/>The intelligence of one to the strength of the other.<br/>The love of one to the abandonment of the other.<br/>The freedom of self to the acceptance of all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Box

**Author's Note:**

> This story was first posted on FF.net in 2013. It's my pride and joy. :) 
> 
> ((Welcome to my favorite and longest fan fiction. If you haven't played (or watched) Persona 4, then I hope you'll be able to get lost in the story just as well as those who have. And for those of you who've spent countless hours crawling through the T.V, you'll appreciate the Easter eggs I've hidden everywhere for your enjoyment. You'll be surprised how much everything is linked to everything else.
> 
> This is a work in progress. :) ))
> 
>  
> 
>  

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three young animal demons -a cat, a fox, and a dog- are rescued to the Human world when a dangerous black and red stain envelopes their verdant world in darkness. Any animal demons caught in the initial fog are turned into Shadows that seek out the survivors for food to increase their power. Under a sleep spell and memory barrier, the cat demon is separated from her friends and finds herself in the Inaba police station via Tohru Adachi's car, and is chased by the detectives. She vindicates Kanji Tatsumi from a crime he didn't commit. His payment is to name her, and so he does, and Naoto Shirogane becomes a resident of the station with the goal of discovering the truth about what happened to her and her friends.

KIZUNA  
A Persona 4 AU story.  
_______________________________________

1st SCENT: THE BOX

April 12th. Tuesday...

She'd awakened when something rough slammed into the box she was curled up in. Someone had dropped it. The sound of wind, a battle cry, and a deep roar of defeat snared her focus. Her ears pulled forward. Whatever creature made that horrific sound had met its end with an unseen weapon. And something powerful. She could feel it. 

She yawned and shook her head, fighting the need to go back to sleep as she listened to a man's voice cry out an attack, followed by more monsters bellowing in agony. A great battle waged outside the box. Her curiosity to discover the truth gave her the strength to resist the need to succumb to unconsciousness. 

A pale red light leaked through the closed slats above her enough to make out the forms of two others nearby fast asleep on a bed of towels. At least they were until the impact woke them up. It wasn't a large box, but could comfortably fit the three of them. The little dog demon blinked tiredly, stretched, then curled back up with a whimper as he fell back into sleep. The little fox demon rolled over onto his stomach, facing her. He was the tallest of the three, so his bare feet were flat against the opposite side of the box. He could barely keep his eyes open, though he managed a weak sound of confusion to his friend as they locked gazes. He wasn't strong enough to fight the urge to sleep, and was soon curled back up in slumber. 

She mewed in kind, but he was already out. The desire to close her eyes pressed down on her once more. She almost gave in, but snapped awake when the box shook again. This time, it continued in a steady slight bouncing motion, as if someone was carrying it. Both boys were still asleep, though she couldn't figure out how they could stay that way through the jostling movement. She stretched and bumped into the fox-boy demon, who grumbled and buried his face in a towel. Her small dark blue ears twitched as she stood, using her slim tail for balance in the darkness, and pushed up a cardboard corner enough to look outside. She could barely see over the edge. 

A melange of swirling black and red oozed across the blue sky, covering the beauty with its murk. A verdant hill to the side morphed into a twisted pile of metal rigging and girders when the red stain leached over it. The ground cracked, the sunlight dimmed, and the beauty succumbed instantly to the oozing infection. It looked like something was contorting the whole world –and everything in it-- into a sinister version of itself. 

She blinked and rubbed at her eyes with the too-long sleeves of her dark blue shirt. A thick fog rolled toward them tailing the red stain, threatening to crush them. Somehow, the one carrying the box managed to stay just barely ahead of the influence. They ran at full speed toward... 

She scrambled over the other sleeping lumps of the fox and dog demon, and peeked out the front. She had to stand on the dog demon to see, which didn't seem to bother him that much beyond a whimper and a foot scratch at his black floppy ear. She, too was exhausted, but curiosity kept her eyes open. She glanced up at the silver wavy hair of the box carrier, to his red and gray uniform with a patch of stitched letters reading—MOEL—then up ahead at a quickly approaching large black window with a numerical dial on the side. The man wouldn't stop. In fact his pace picked up as the scene around them bled in toward a focal point just behind the window. The beautiful world would be completely consumed by it in seconds. She scrunched her eyes shut, fearing they would slam into it. Instead, the man dove through, box and all, sending ripples along the window's surface. It swallowed them up like the hungry, giant beasts behind them. 

The little cat demon fell back onto the towels with a meow of surprise. The vortex propelled them to who knew where. All she knew was that the trip was steadily making her more nauseous and sleepy the further away they traveled from the crimson, foggy world. If only she knew what it was. Everything and everyone it touched turned into black, shapeless masses with masks, and eyes that glowed jaundiced-yellow. 

A heavy thump told her they'd stopped. She flopped backward over the fox demon. The next sound she heard beyond the silver haired man's quick footsteps was water pattering the closed box. The chill air was making her ill. She curled up next to the fox demon for warmth and comfort, and closed her eyes in favor of the sleep that begged to take her away from the sensations. Nothing about the air outside felt natural at all. It was light, and she felt lightheaded in it. Whatever was chasing them was gone, so she let herself obey the call of sleep. 

* * * *  
The next time she woke up, the box was open, and they were inside a room with an overhead light. She could see through the high window that the storm had broken up and the sun was shining. She looked over the passed out form of the fox demon, but they were the only two in the box. The dog demon was gone, leaving only his imprint on the towel. She nudged the fox with her tiny hands. 

He grumped and curled up. 

She bit his ear and pulled.

“Yip!” He jerked away, scowling at her and flicking his tail.

The tiny cat demon mewed slightly and pointed to the empty towel space. 

He looked, then back to her with a questioning noise.

She couldn't answer him. She didn't know where the other young demon had gone. She didn't even know why they were in this box, or where they were, and her friend didn't know any more than she did. 

He curled up with his arms pressed over his stomach and groaned.

The nausea had hit her, too. What could she do about it? What could she tell him other than to just breathe until is passes.  
He gave her a short simple 'yarf' in response.

She narrowed her eyes at his tone. Of course it would pass! Who would want to constantly live like they wanted to puke? He could be such a whiny little shit sometimes. 

Footsteps pulled her away from her irate companion. 

“Good, you're awake. I was afraid the trip through the portal would be too much for you young ones to handle.”

She looked up at the face of the box carrier. He wore a cap with light silver hair curling out from beneath it, and a smile. She didn't know him at all. Ignoring the want to curl up against the nausea with the fox demon, she stood guard in front of him instead and hissed.

The fox turned his sleepy gaze up at the man. 

“Easy, little one. You're safe here.” He gently put the small dog demon back into the box. 

When she'd first seen him, his ears and tail were entirely black. Now only one ear remained the shade of onyx. She kept her eyes on the giant. It took her a moment to realize the three of them were wearing oversized clean shirts. The fox in white long sleeves with a red v-neck collar, the dog in orange, and she in her familiar navy blue. 

“I almost didn't get to him in time.” He ruffled the ears of the dog demon. “I removed as much of the poison as I could, but I still fear for him. I'll need you two to keep an eye on him.” The man put two orange bowls into the box – one with food, and one with water. The fox demon moved enough to sniff the food, then curled up. “Ah, right.” he reached in, touching a fingertip to each of their heads.

At first she wanted to bite that finger off, but when the nausea disappeared, she rethought her reaction. It would be illogical to bite the hand that heals you. The fox demon seemed to be doing well as he picked up a handful of food and devoured it. 

“It's a side effect of crossing boundaries. Normally being over here will make you sick until you go back, but you won't have to worry about that anymore. You should feel better soon.”

She mewed. 

The man just smiled. “I almost didn't make it, but I had to at least get you out of there. You three are the luckiest cat, dog, and fox yokai in the world.” He stood, then moved to the other side of the room. 

She and the fox stood to look over the edge, though she had to climb onto his back to see. The room was a type of garage without any kind of vehicle. Tools were scattered around on benches, the floor was stained with oil around a rack that looked like it could hold something heavy above the floor, and it smelled of grease and cleaner. She noticed the same letters on a few of the drawers as was on the man's uniform. 

Her friend yipped in demand to know what had happened.

“All you need to know is that you're safe. I have a plan. Just be yourselves, and you'll figure it out.” The sound of a car pulling up outside interrupted.

They watched him walk out the door to great the new customers, and could catch bits of the conversation. 

“So, you in high school?”

“Yeah,” 

“We need some part timers here. Interested?”

“No thanks.”

“Still trying to get used to how dull it is compared to the big city? You'll be bored to tears if you don't have a job, or somethin'. Hey, look. Just give it some thought. Sound good?”

“Yeah. Sure.”

Both young demons strained to hear in the silence that followed. 

“Cool,” they heard the attendant's voice. “All right. Back to work, then.”

“Are you ok?” A little girl said. “You look bad. Are you car sick-ey?”

“I'm fine. It passed.”

The attendant walked back into the garage at that moment and up to the box where he crouched down to their level. His tone of voice changed completely. “You need to go back to sleep now.” He grinned. “Don't worry. You'll be exactly where you need to be. Just remember what I said.” Gently, he ruffled the fox and cat demon's hair with both hands to reassure them. 

She and the fox-boy flopped back to the towels, once again overwhelmed with sleep. Her fight against it weakened as her questions faded away with memories of the red world. The little cat demon struggled to remember why she needed to stay awake. She leaned heavily against the other two, hearing the fox demon complain lazily about not wanting to go to sleep. Soon, he, too, was out cold. 

The gas station attendant closed the box again, leaving his face the last thing she saw before she lost the battle. 

* * * *  
“'Adachi, where's my coffee? Adachi, get me some sausages. Adachi, stop staring like you didn't go to college.' Sometimes I wish Dojima would get me coffee with all the hard work and overtime I put in for him.” He frowned. Of course, Ryotaro Dojima was the best, and if he wanted to learn every nuance of being a good detective, shadowing the older man was the best way to do it. 

He cut sharply across the street to the gas station and stepped out into the crisp morning air when the attendant greeted him. 

“Hey, what can I get ya?”

“Regular. And do you have a pot of coffee going?”

“Sure do. Just started it, so it may be a minute.”

Tohru Adachi rolled his eyes. “Awe man, just my stupid luck.” He was already late to work. Even if he did show up with the town's most amazing brew, he was bound to be put on paperwork duty. “Charge me for the biggest cup you have and a bottle of asprin for when he reams me a shiny new one for being late.” 

“You got it.” The attendant's reply met with air, because the young detective had disappeared into the gas station market. He smirked. The pot would take a good five minutes to percolate, which gave him more time than he needed. He hooked the lever on the gas handle deftly with one finger to lock in the auto shut-off, and left it to fill the tank while he walked back into the garage. 

The box was still closed in the corner. His little guests would be waking soon. Carefully, he opened the four cardboard folds. The three were still fast asleep, and the bowls were empty. The fox demon was in the middle, sprawled out over as much space as possible. The dog demon muffled softly into the towels from a dream with his feet up against the side of the box and his head over the fox demon's arm. The cat demon formed a tiny ball completely curled up into her long-sleeved shirt up against the fox, who's tail wrapped over her like a blanket.

The three of them had started out as friends in their world, but the attendant noticed that the other two tended to give the dog demon more space ever since they got here. That worried him the most. Animal demons who form bonds this young carry them throughout their lives, no matter who its with, or how far apart they travel. He could tell the dog's brush with darkness seemed to be eating away at that bond. Without it, his future was grim. The attendant gently pet the dog demon's ears.

It looked up at him briefly with solid black eyes and a blank expression, as if it could see through the attendant's own disguise.  
He would do the best he could—he'd already set the wheel in motion with that transfer student and the young detective in the store, as well as another he would soon visit—but ultimately, it was up to these three to follow the clues. This would be a trial for each of them, but when they find each other again, they'll be stronger for it, and there just might be hope for both worlds.

The clock clicked over to 8:00am. He gently lifted the cat demon out of the box in both hands. The little fox yawned broadly and reached out where his companion used to be, though he stayed asleep.

He moved quickly out of the garage, cupping the smallest of the three in his hands.

Opening the backseat door to Adachi's black sedan was a simple matter of passing his finger over the locking mechanism. The lock popped up on the inside. He opened the door and gently set the cat demon on the seat. Thankfully, Adachi had been too busy to remember to grab his jacket, so the attendant covered the little creature with it. 

“Follow your instincts and find the truth,” he whispered.

The cat demon yawned and stretched out beneath the jacket. Her navy blue tail poked out from beneath.

He closed the door and locked it, then moved back to the gas pump. With a smooth motion, he unhooked the catch and stopped the meter right at 'full.' 

Adachi marched out with a large cup of coffee in hand, and a bottle of pain killers. 

“Hey, sorry I didn't get in there to help you,” the attendant smiled. “Your car was nearly on empty. She's all set.”

“Eh, that's fine. I left some money on the counter. Keep the change or put it toward my next coffee.” 

“Will do. Have a nice day.” The attendant tipped the brim of his hat. 

Adachi took his place in the drivers seat, turned the ignition on, and sped away from the station into town toward the Inaba police department.  
The attendant watched him leave. One down, three to go.

The car slowed briefly at a stop sign, then turned right toward the middle of town. The motion pulled the small cat demon from her sleep. Too much had happened to her in the last couple of days, that all she wanted to do was curl up with her friends and go back to the way things were—if she could remember the way they were. She'd been somewhere else before, with two others, but the memories were hazy. She fought to recall the face of the attendant, though it repeatedly slipped away, like it was trying to hide from her. Their smell was still on her shirt, so she inhaled deeply. It was powerful enough to draw a few of the memories out of the darkness. She held on to them—the faces of her friends, the box, glimpses of a red sky swirled with black—and was relieved when those stayed. Maybe there was more, maybe not. Either way, this was all she had. She mewed softly and curled up into the memories of the fox and dog demons. Sure, the fox could be annoying, and the other was just weird, and gave her a bad vibe, but they were her companions. They were together in the box. Why weren't they here? Where were they, and why was she alone in something else that was moving? She feared it was taking her too far away to ever see them again. 

She lifted her head and sniffed the air. The floor beneath her feet was different, fuzzy, and it was a dark charcoal gray. Plus, the heavy scent of cologne threatened to overpower her sense of smell. What kind of creature had to severely disguise their own odor? It must be incredibly rank by nature. She wiggled over to look down at a travel can of body spray on the floor. 

She sneezed. Then hissed at it.

“Hm?” Adachi pulled the car into a parking space at the station and shut off the engine. He glanced into the rear view, though couldn't recall moving his jacket to the back seat. He reached back to grab it when it suddenly moved. He froze as the cat demon's head popped into view.  
Her ears twitched once.

They stared at each other for the longest minute to ever exist in the history of awkward moments. It wasn't a cat, but it looked like a really, really tiny child.

'Mew.'

“Holy Jesus!” Adachi jerked back against the horn, making it honk once. 

The sudden loud noise startled the cat demon into a fit. She scrambled out from under the jacket and onto the side seat looking for a way out.  
Adachi rammed his hands against the door latch several times before it opened and he spilled out onto the pavement. “What..what the... How did you get in my car?!”

Finally, an escape route! She dashed out of the car and ran straight for the nearest open door.

He stared after her, watching the creature run on two legs, then bound inside the police station on all fours. “Oh no... I'm so dead. Wait! Get back here!” He got to his feet, slammed the door of his car, and hurried inside.

She ran through the hall, dodging a woman in a business suit and heels. The sleeves of her shirt kept getting in the way, so she shifted to running on two legs. That decision failed her when she reached a sharp corner. She tumbled behind a trash bin and knocked it over. Papers scattered all over the light colored floor. 

“Hey! Stop! S'cuse me, Mrs. Shirogane,” Adachi nearly ran into the same woman. He barreled forward. “Someone stop that cat! Whoa!” He'd stepped on a grease paper from someone's breakfast burrito that was once in the trashcan, and faceplanted near the stairs. 

The little demon's tail flicked from side to side as she looked at the skinny, clumsy man, and giggled. She sort of liked this guy, though she still wasn't about to trust him. 

“You. How did you get in my car? What are you?” His eyes widened when she took off up the stairs in a dark blue blur. “Little shit's fast. No, not up there! G'yah!” He took the steps two at a time to the second floor, then stopped, puffing and panting as he looked swiftly from side to side. He ran for the first door, an interrogation room. Nothing there. He moved on from door to door, room to room. She had to be on this floor, and he had to catch her quickly before she ran into--

“Adachi! Where's my coffee?!” 

—Shit.

Dojima poked his head out of the main investigation room where the desks of Inaba's detectives were kept, including theirs. “I don't see a cup in your hands. Are you trying to get paperwork duty?”

“No, sir. I left it in my car, but I was chasing this cat through the hall and—”

“A cat? In the precinct?” 

“Well, it's not really a cat in the traditional sense. It's more of a cat...thing.”

Dojima studied the newbie good and hard, looking for any sign of senility. “Right... Boy, they're comin' out of the academy more and more green these days.” 

“I'm telling you, sir, it looks like a kid, but it's got ears,” he put both hands on top of his short cropped dark hair, “and a tail,” he waggled his hand behind his butt—as if this explanation needed charades, “but it was only as tall as a ruler, and I was—”

“I've heard enough. Either get your ass in here and get to work, or go to the break room and get me my coff—”

The same blue streak of ears, hair, shirt, and tail rushed past Dojima's feet into the office room.

“Wah, there it is!” Adachi pushed past his superior to chase it down. He dropped down when it ran under a vacant desk, then stood and looked around. “By the window!” 

Shenanigans had been called. They now demanded the attention of the five other detectives in the room. 

The cat demon climbed a bookshelf, hauling herself up at the expense of a couple of books, and jumped to the desk next to it. She ran across manilla folders stuffed with papers, knocked office supplies to the floor, dodged coffee cups with cheesy sayings on them, and ran across keyboards, all to avoid the grasping hands of the Humans chasing her. Her footsteps left random letters across computer screens, and she even turned on a Vocaloid screensaver when she tripped over a wired mouse and hit the 'sleep' button. She stood with her back to a Caramel Dansen Rin, Len, and Miku gif and caught her breath. 

She turned to look at the screensaver, and cocked her head to the side with one ear quirked down in confusion. What was this? She raised both hands in a mimicking motion to her ears for a moment, but shook her head. That was just weird. 

The little cat demon was officially ready for this chaos to be over, although a small part of her enjoyed the thrill of the chase. 

“Adachi. You flank it from the right, I'll go from the front. Myomoto, take the left and guard the door,” Dojima softened his voice. 

She smirked. Really? They were missing one vital escape route in this scenario. She grabbed a rubber band with a paperclip, jumped up, avoiding Adachi's hands, and slingshot the paperclip at Dojima's forehead. 

He cried out and covered the new red mark on his face, though it gave the tiny creature the out she needed. 

She launched herself off of his back onto a rolling chair, pushing it with inertia, and leaped to the floor. She rolled to a stop in the hallway, dizzy. That landing hurt more than she'd expected. Her tail whipped from side to side for balance. When she looked up, she was completely surrounded. The mischievous smile on her face disappeared. She was in real trouble now. 

“See, sir? What did I tell ya?”

“It's not a cat, or a kid,” someone else said softly.

“What is it, then?” Myomoto wondered.

“Whatever it is, we need to get it to a shelter or something," another detective added.

Her eyes widened and her ears drooped. Somehow, the word 'shelter' brought up an image of the box, only much more harsh and lonely. She would surely never see her friends again. She stepped back, turned when she got too close to Dojima, and backed away again. 

A deputy called to the circle of people to move to the side so they could pass. He tightened his grip on a high school student's forearm to pull him by. Behind him, another deputy walked with a young man who wasn't restrained at all, and followed behind. The first boy was blond with a skull and crossbones tattoo on his left upper arm. 

It was the first time she'd seen someone with that color of hair. 

“I'm tellin' ya, you got the wrong guy!”

“Keep your mouth shut, Tatsumi,” the deputy snarled.

“So, yeah, I roughed up the leader of the gang a little, bloodied his nose, but it was just between us. Mano a mano. An honor fight. I don't know who the hell took on the rest of them!”

The other boy following behind frowned deeply beneath black eyes and dirty hair. His frown shifted to a smirk.

The little cat demon looked from one to the other as they walked by. She locked eyes with the blond one for a moment, and sniffed the air. That was enough for her. 

One of the female detectives folded her arms in disgust. “That Tatsumi kid causing trouble again. Some people are just bad eggs.”  
The cat had to trust her instincts. She took off in a run at the other boy and dove at his leg. Without thinking, she sank her teeth into his thigh.  
He screamed in pain and tried to shake her lose, hopping around the hallway. 

She held on, climbed until she reached his back pocket, and grabbed something from it. He spun around, finally catching her and smacked her back to the floor. She cried out at the impact and curled up, clutching her red cloth prize. That hurt worse than the jump from the chair. She missed her box and the fox demon. 

A deputy and Adachi had to calm the boy down as he shouted obscenities to the little cat demon about how it attacked him, and should be put down. It could have rabies. 

She whimpered, not knowing what any of that was, just that she hurt.

Mrs. Shirogane had followed Adachi up the stairs and watched the proceedings until now. She'd witnessed everything from the chase in the office to the attack. What everyone failed to notice except for her was the strip of red cloth held in the tiny clenched fist of the creature. She knelt down and gently took the fabric to unfold it. The letters RR stood out in black script, and there were blood stains on the color. 

“Detective Dojima?” She stood. “I think you should see this.” She held out the cloth.

He took it, turning it in the light to look it over, then regarded the boy. “Where'd you get this?”

“It's mine.”

“Its' initials are RR. Who does this belong to?”

“Fine, it's belongs to a buddy of mine.”

“A buddy in a biker gang? If I recall, RR – Riku Rinkosu –was in here last month for trying to hold up Konishi Liquors, and this is his signet. You're a part of that gang, too, aren't you.”

“I don't know what you're talking about! I'm just here to give my testimony!” The boy started to back up toward the stairs. A deputy grabbed his arm to stop him. 

Dojima looked to Kanji Tatsumi, then to the boy. “We found out that biker gang was involved. Profits didn't split well between you?”  
“You got it all wrong!” The boy demanded, starting to sweat.

The little cat demon hissed at him from the floor. He was spouting pure bullshit, and she could smell it as strongly as Adachi's cheap body spray. 

Dojima stood nose to nose with the kid. “Really. Because if there's blood on here that doesn't match the leader of the gang, but matches someone else in the gang, you'll be in a world of hurt.”

The teenager's eye twitched. He was trapped. “I.... I...... I was sick of them treating me like a kid! Sick of it! I deserve respect!”

The older detective backed up. His tactic had worked. “Get him out of here.” A deputy pulled the boy's wrists behind his back and lead him down the hall to a holding room. Dojima turned to the original suspect. “You're off the hook, Tatsumi. I don't want to see you in here again.”

Kanji frowned, and nodded. He wasn't sure he knew what had just happened. His gaze locked on the small cat creature as Mrs. Shirogane picked it up. It mewed as though it were in pain, and Kanji grit his teeth. Something that small and cute should never be in pain. 

She held it in her hands carefully. “You'd better thank this little one, Mr. Tatsumi. She just saved your ass.”

“A cat...thing?” Kanji touched the creature's ear. It was as soft as angora fur. 

She looked at him, snarled a little, but let him be. He made her feel uneasy, though nowhere near the level of that punk brat they just hauled away. She mewed at him lightly and locked eyes. 

His eyes dilated at how adorable this thing was, but he quickly looked away, praying no one saw that. Kanji stuffed his hands in his pockets, wanting to thank the little thing, and wanting to keep petting it even more, but he stepped back instead and cast his eyes to the floor. He let his gratitude pour out in his mind, though it would never be voiced beyond, “Whatever it is then. It's hurt. Probably should get it looked at. Does it... have a name?”

“Since she doesn't have a tag, I suppose we should call her something.” A twinkling idea lit up in her eyes. “You name her. Call it your payment.”

Kanji stepped back. “What? Why me?” He could have gone off on a tangent, but Mrs. Shirogane gave off the kind of aura that was both disarming and dangerous. Plus, being in a police station meant he had to be very careful in what he said and did until he was outside. 

“She can tell when someone's being truthful or not. I know. What do you think of 'Naoto?' I know it's a boy's name.” 

“Huh,” he tried. “It fits, I guess. And I do owe it—her—one.” He conceded. Kanji bit back his pride for a moment to ruffle her ears again. “Yeah, I like the name. So,” he scratched behind her ear, allowing himself one more second to enjoy the softness, “Naoto has a name, now.” 

Something within the tiny cat demon changed. She couldn't take her eyes off the blond haired giant. 

Mrs. Shirogane smiled. Animals were always amazing at breaking through a persons tough exterior. This little one didn't have to work hard at all to get through his. “Thank you, Mr. Tatsumi.” Kanji walked away down the stairs, glancing back at the cat girl before heading out. 

Naoto. A truth seeker. That is one thing she clearly remembers. 'Follow your instincts and find the truth.' She watched him until he was out of sight. He wasn't that bad. … maybe.

“I believe you were looking for this,” Mrs. Shirogane turned to face the two men again. The office had gone back to normal. “You said you found her in your car, right, Adachi?”

Adachi scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah, but I don't know how it got there.”

“Then you should keep her.”

“What? Nah, I can't take care of a...cat.... thing...girl...whatever it is.” He held up his hand. “You keep it, or report it, or something.”

A dispirited sound escaped from the cat demon. 

Mrs. Shirogane stared at him with deep brown unblinking eyes. “Then write up a report. Do you really want to explain this to the Chief—to my husband—how an unknown, foot-tall, feline-like creature with a Human appearance solved a case in five minutes? I didn't think so.”

Naoto looked up at the kind woman curiously. So far, she'd gone against everything she'd experienced from these people. 

“We can't have a cat running through here,” Dojima said. 

“She's not a cat. She's a....... She's a mystery.” Mrs. Shirogane scratched the ears of the little creature in her hand. “Smart, too—I saw what she did to you with that rubber band and paperclip. You can put that in your report, too, Adachi. Besides, look what she just did. She seems to have a nose for justice. This place could use a mascot."

Dojima rolled his eyes. 

“Don't worry. Adachi gets litter box duty.” Mrs. Shirogane smiled jokingly. 

“What?! I object! I get enough crap from Dojima as it is!”

The cat demon laughed, though not much since the motion flared up a pain in her side. 

She curled up against Mrs. Shirogane as the woman took her to have her wounds cared for. She would solve the mystery of her friends, and the red world, and find the truth. She would live up to her name.

“Adachi?” Dojima worried the bridge of his nose as he walked back into the office.

“Yes, sir?”

“Change your screensaver.”

He sighed. “Yes, sir.” 

“And get me my coffee.”


	2. Free

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A week after the cat demon is placed into Adachi's car, Yu Narukami is sent to Junes on a very late night errand. He takes a shortcut through the Tatsuhime shrine where he finds the fox demon abandoned in a cardboard box marked with the word "Free." Feeling it would be cruel to leave the strange creature in the rain, he takes him home, though is unsure of what he got himself into. 
> 
> The fox demon can't remember his past due to the silver haired man's memory spell. He has to figure out if he can trust this giant Human, or if he'll be forgotten and abandoned again.

2nd SCENT: FREE

\----April 21st. Thursday. The shopping district. Close to midnight...----

Inaba.

The city of endless rain. 

Or at least that's what should be written beneath the 'Welcome To Yasoinaba' sign. “We Have Rain. And Steak. Mostly Rain.” 

Yu Narukami was at the tail end of the last group of shoppers to step out of Junes for the night. He opened his clear umbrella against another onslaught of brutal weather pounding the dimly lit streets of this sleepy little town. He could count the number of solid sunny days on both hands since he moved here a week ago. His parents had no other choice but to stuff a train ticket into his pocket dooming him to live in rural obscurity with an uncle he'd never met –or if he did, didn't remember. Yu would forget things from time to time like everyone else, but he was pretty sure the face of a family member would stick around. He was, after all, part of an extremely small family. Apparently staying with his uncle, Ryotaro Dojima, was the only option open to his parents even though Yu had insisted he wouldn't burn down the apartment while they were gone for a year in the states. Of course, being left with some kind of care giver –sometimes at a moments notice—was par for the course for his life. Why change the formula now when the outcome proved to yield predictable results every time? 

He adjusted his grip on the plastic Junes bag in his free hand as he moved up the hill of the shopping district. Everything was closed. Inaba had rolled up its sidewalks for the day a few hours earlier. 

He paused at the corner. If he turned right, it would take him twenty minutes to walk in the rain back to his uncle's house. If he turned left, it would take him thirty. However, if he took a shortcut through the Tatsuhime Shrine he'd discovered while wandering around alone one day, he could be there in fifteen, maybe less. He glanced to the right where a street lamp barely lit the entrance to a back alley behind the shops. It flickered and died.

He narrowed his eyes at the statistically fantastic timing. Through the shrine it is. 

Being from the city had taught Yu how to survive when traveling alone at night. a) It was never a good idea to be out at night to begin with, and if so, you're a moron. b) stay on the lit side of the street, and c) make sure what you're carrying can be used as a weapon. Although Inaba had enough people to fill just one subway station in Okina city—maybe—it somehow warranted being called a 'town.' Probably because it had its own post office. He was relatively sure no malevolent shadows would take him out from the bushes, steal his bag of snacks and supplies for his little cousin, Nanako's, science project, and leave him bleeding on the shrine's cold, ancient steps. 

He stopped under the dim, golden lantern light of the shrine anyway and slid a glance into the darkness. Yu exhaled in annoyance at his own actions. Paranoia had tagged itself to him from the city no matter how hard he tried to leave it behind. It was a constant companion he hoped to abandon if he ever wanted to trust anyone. 

A fifteen minute walk in this weather was nothing. He started to move across the courtyard when a choked, high pitched sound caught his attention. He paused. Another, like a constricted 'yip' from a dog mixed with a shuttering sob followed. Yu turned back to face the dark hollow behind the offering box when yet another sound filtered out. If it was a feral animal, it could be dangerous. But if it was in need of help, he could at least call animal control to come get it. 

Thunder threatened the town from the hills in the distance with lightning taking the lead. The storm would reach its apex of violence pretty soon and turn the Samegawa flood plain into a roaring river. 

Yu moved forward beyond the protective circle of light, his palm tightening around the umbrella handle, his senses tuned and ready for danger. Suddenly, the small noises stopped. The shrine thickened with a 'patter' chorus of rain against the stone and leaves of surrounding trees. Something rustled in an old, worn cardboard box marked 'FREE' in black paint. He moved forward cautiously to see around the offering box, and peered inside.  
Two small, black-tipped, rust colored ears drooped on a shaggy mess of dark reddish-brown hair. The little creature was shaking. 

His mouth slacked in shock when the animal turned big brown eyes his direction. It immediately scrambled to the opposite side of the box into a shadow cast by the shrine, its ears folded back in fear. Someone had put it into an oversized white long sleeved shirt that reached past its knees with a red v-neck collar. The darkness shaded most of its face. What kind of person would leave an animal in a box on a ferocious stormy night like this? Even if it is at a shrine, that was still a shitty move.

Yu set down the Junes bag to fish his phone out of his pocket. What he'd had in his hand drew enough curiosity for the box occupant to move with trepidation into the light. It placed its hands on the lip of the box, stretched up onto the toes of its bare feet to see over the edge, and looked up at him. His eyes widened as the initial shock returned.

It was an animal—a fox—but it was also a kid. Yu had never seen anything of that combination before in his life. It had to be a child playing a game in costume. However, that idea quickly dissolved when the fox-boy's ears twitched. They and the tail were real. Plus, it was way too little to be a child. What kind of creature had he stumbled upon?

The two stared at each other for a long time through the storms thick sheet of silvery darts. The phone glowed a faint pale blue in Yu's hand.  
What would he tell animal control? 'Hi, I found a fox-boy-thing in a box at the shrine. Can you guys come get it?' They'd hang up on him after laughing at the idiocy, then berate him about being out so late. It was nearly midnight.

He pocketed the phone. 

Taking a risk, Yu reached out a hand. 

It stepped back, pulling its ears back once more. The little guy wasn't even pushing 2 feet tall – maybe a foot-and-a-quarter at most. 

“It's o.k. Here.” He dug an apple from the bag and held it out. 

The other sniffed at it and flicked his eyes up to Yu's face as if trying to figure out if this stranger was going to hurt him. The giant had silver hair the same shade as the man's who'd abandoned him. He couldn't risk trusting another who looked like that. His stomach grumbled as it had been doing for most of the night in argument against his decision. He snatched the apple, hurried to the back of the box, and downed it quickly. The need for food had given him temporary bravery to trust someone he had never met. His ears gradually pulled forward as his fear began to quell.

“Hungry, eh?” He handed over another apple. Two empty orange plastic bowls and a couple of towels inside the box were the only sign of another person's involvement. “Who left you out here?”

It blinked at him, shrugged, looked at the interior of its box, and ate the second treat.

“You can understand me?” 

It let out a light 'yip' in response, almost like it was afraid to make any sound, though it was definitely an affirmative. 

The rain began pelting Yu's umbrella and the already soaking wet fox-boy with more vigor.

It sneezed. 

Yu picked up the Junes bag and looked back down to the vacant street. There were no cars, no cops, no pedestrians, and no one who seemed to care about the half Human fox-creature-boy at the shrine. Not a soul knew they were out here. 

The lights of Junes near the end of the street dimmed as the store locked its doors for the night, further darkening the shopping district. 

Another whimper grabbed his attention. He looked back to find the unique creature standing at the wall of its cardboard prison again, this time with hope and need in its eyes. 

Not knowing what the right decision would be, Yu weighed the best options in his mind along with their possible repercussions. 

1\. Call animal control anyway.  
2\. Take it home.  
3\. Leave it be. It'll be fine.

Option 1 likely wouldn't get him anywhere but reported to his uncle at the police station, and option 3 was just cruel. 

That left option 2. 

He set the bag down again and crouched to reach out to the fox-boy. “My name is Yu Narukami. I'm not going to hurt you. See?” 

The fox demon hesitated, but leaned forward to sniff his hand. Then in a surprising move, it bumped its head against his palm. 

Relieved it wasn't going to bite him, he scratched its head. “Let's get you somewhere dry.” Yu hooked the Junes bag in the hock of his right elbow. Everyone would be asleep when he got back to his uncle's house, so it will be easier to sneak inside. Decision made—good or bad—he set the umbrella down and lifted the fox-boy out of the soggy box. The small creature weighed hardly anything. The boy trembled from either cold or fear, or both. A rumble of thunder frightened him into burying his face in Yu's jacket.

“Calm down. I used to be weak against storms, too. Lately, they don't bother me at all.” He wondered just what had happened for this little guy to deserve abandonment. Sadly, he could relate. 

Yu sheltered them with the umbrella and left the box that said “FREE” behind to the mercy of the shadows. 

* * * *  
He carefully opened the door to the Dojima home as quietly as possible, slipped off his shoes, and moved up the stairs to his given room. Yu set the fox-boy down. “Stay here. I'll be right back. Stay.” 

The other sat, though couldn't keep his eyes from curiously checking out the room. It was warm and dry here, sparsely decorated, and the blue two-toned checkered carpet was soft, so whatever this stranger said—for now—he'd do. 

Yu cracked the refrigerator door just enough to remove a bottle of water, and the rest of his bento box from lunch that day at school. The internal light spilled into the dark living room. He unloaded the contents of the Junes bag and closed the door. Nerves at being the new kid in Yasogami High had kept him from eating the whole thing, so he had this saved as a midnight snack. He scooped half of the contents onto a plate for himself, grabbed a set of chopsticks, and walked to the desk next to the stairs. The wall calendar said tomorrow was Friday, which meant he would have to deal with his current problem after school or on Saturday when he'd have time to move around town to look for its owner. That left what to do with it while he was at school. He marked a small 'x' at the corner of Saturday as a reminder, and went back upstairs. 

The fox-boy hadn't moved at all. 

“You're trained at least.” He set the food on his desk and grabbed a towel from the hall closet to dry off his own hair. A puddle of rainwater had dampened the carpet around the fox. His shirt stuck to him and he shivered from the cold. 

Yu reached out with the towel, but the little guy stepped back with wary eyes. He couldn't blame him for being cautious. He'd be distrusting of anyone after being left behind, too. To show him he meant no harm, he dried off his own hair once more, then held the towel out. 

The fox's eyes flicked from it to the giant Human. He bit his lip, then stepped forward. 

Yu gently dried off the small creature's hair, ears, and tail, and motioned for him to remove the shirt. 

The tiny fox boy mimicked the motion, pulling the oversized shirt free, then wrapped the towel around himself to keep warm. It bunched up around him like a blanket.

"Stay." Yu draped the wet shirt over a hanger, hooked it on the corner of the metal shelving unit in the room to dry, and went downstairs to the garage. There were a few boxes haphazardly piled in front of the car. One labeled 'Donations' had toppled over so its contents spilled across the floor. The mess had caught his eye earlier in the week when his uncle had opened the garage door to leave for work, which was why he remembered it now. He crouched down to dig through the pile of old toys and clothes, and put them back in the box as he searched for a plushy with removable clothing. Might as well clean up while he was here. A soft, green frog plushy wearing a gray hooded sweater caught his eye. It had a screen-print of the frog's own face on the front, and donned a pair of blue cotton pants. He picked it up, and was instantly sent back to a sense memory. Just to make sure, he lifted its soft right foot where two initials were written in permanent marker.

Y.N.

This was Pickles the Frog –his old toy from when he was a little kid. He carried this with him everywhere until he was 7. Then, Pickles went up on a shelf. When he was 9 years old, his father asked him to put everything he didn't want into a box so they could give it to his uncle for the anticipated birth of their first baby—Nanako. This was Yu's chance to get rid of everything weighing him down in childhood, so he stuffed it full with clothes, toys, and books until he could barely get it closed. His father wrote 'Yu's Toys' on the side in sloppy characters, and told Yu how proud he was of him for being so generous. These would make his new little cousin very happy. Yu had smiled, satisfied, and watched the last of his childhood walk out the door. 

It had been so long ago, that he'd forgotten. And now Nanako, at the age of 7, had grown out of them, too. Other things he recognized in the donations box would find new homes elsewhere, but this frog would get a fresh start with a fox-boy-creature scarcely taller than it. He began to pull the apparel from its stubby arms and legs, but paused as the nights events finally sank in.

Tired, he sat back heavily on his heels with the toy dangling from his right hand. He glanced to the frog's permanent, button-eyed goofy smile as the muted rhythm of the rainstorm swallowed the silence.

He exhaled. "What am I doing?" He had to be crazy to bring a strange animal thing like that here. There wasn't a classification for what it even was. It could prove to be dangerous. No...that wasn't the feeling he had. For some reason, he knew bringing it home was the right thing to do. That little fox-boy wasn't a threat. He was lost, alone, and scared-abandoned and forgotten like Nanako's old donation clothes. Maybe his owners didn't want to deal with him anymore.

Yu's head dipped slightly. One some level, he could relate.

After a couple of minutes, he went inside, cut a small hole in the pants for the fox's tail with a pair of scissors from the desk, and returned upstairs to find the fox under the table in front of the t.v. "I don't know what kind of person would leave you outside in this weather, but you're dry, now."

The fox took the plushy's forfeited wear, sniffed them, and put them on. They were warm and comfortable, and helped to calm him down.  
Yu cracked the door open, put the bare stuffed animal on the floor, and set the food down next to it with the open water bottle. "You have hands, so I hope you can manage. Bathroom's down the hall if you have to go." He dried off, changed into his night clothes, and sat on the futon to eat his own snack as the small fox-boy greedily dove into the food. "How long were you out there?"

He slurped up the rest of the noodles and went for the leftover rice and vegetables, leaving the tofu behind. 

“Do you have a name?”

He shook his head from side to side. 

“What are you? I've never seen anything like you before. Where'd you come from?”

The fox-boy stopped eating long enough to look Yu in the eyes. His ears and tail twitched, and his shoulders slumped.

“...You don't know?” 

He shook his head slowly from side to side again, then went back to polishing off the bento box at a more normal pace. Finally sated, he leaned back and belched. 

Yu finished his plate and set it on the desk. He opened the closet door and pushed aside the hangers. “Well, if my uncle finds you, he'll kill me, so you can sleep in here tonight.” He set the stuffed toy down with a pile of spare sheets.

The fox-boy yawned broadly, then moved lethargicly over to the make-shift closet bed. The sheets smelled vaguely of laundry detergent mixed with the musk of time kept in a storage bin. He sat on them as Yu turned off the light.

"We'll see if we can't find who you belong to tomorrow. G'night."

There was a shuffling of bedding on the futon, then silence.

Within seconds, the fox-boy's eyes had adjusted to the darkness of the room. He stared up at the clothes swaying above him like ghosts. The frog stared blankly up at them, too. He could try to sleep, as he was exhausted, but he was in a stranger's house. He pulled up the sheets, curled into a ball with his tail tucked around him, and sighed. Somehow, he felt like there should be another presence next to him aside from the stuffed toy. The wind howled, though he wasn't afraid of it, and the rain tapped its demanding needles against the window. He thought about the box outside at the shrine and shivered. He could still be out there if Yu hadn't decided to take a shortcut.

Gradually, the food coma won the war. He managed to grab a few moments of rest when the harsh strobe of periwinkle lightning snapped him awake. Thunder chased it a few tense seconds later. The fox-boy sat up sharply. He had to see what was going on outside. The mystery left his imagination to its own flights of images, which were probably far worse than what was actually going on. Images of demonic snarls, and lightning reaching to tie him down and drain him dry were the worst of them. Whatever controlled the lightning must be a true monster. Still, curiosity overpowered fear, and he moved on all fours across the room. 

Climbing up onto the chair and desk by the window wasn't too difficult, though he did scramble to haul himself up. He placed both hands against the cool glass and looked outside at the dark street as his breath left a small vapor circle on the glass. 

Lightning and thunder clashed overhead. 

All bravery vanished in a mad scramble away from the beastly storm that left him tumbling onto the futon. Without wasting a beat, he burrowed beneath the thick comforter near the edge of the bed and curled up. A slight whimper escaped despite his efforts to keep silent. 

The occupant of the futon shifted awake.

Yu blinked bleary eyes at the new lump under the blanket. “…”

He lifted the edge and was met with those brown eyes harboring fear mixed with the dread of having possibly done something wrong. 

Another crash of thunder hammered through the room. The fox-boy covered his ears.

He hm'd slightly to himself. This house was still new to him as well. He understood. The fox-boy must be more afraid of the storm than he'd thought. 

Yu scratched him on the head behind his ears. “You can stay. I get it.” He couldn't be that old, although he showed a higher intelligence and understanding of language beyond any normal animal, not to mention his appearance. He looked like a very small Human, yet at times, he acted like an animal. It was hard to know how to treat the little guy. 

The fox-boy blinked in disbelief, though was relieved he wasn't forced to get off the bed. Why was this giant being nice to him? The other man was nice at first, too. Yu didn't have the same sense as the other man. Yu came across as kind, whereas the other held an uneasy, mysterious sense that could go either way. 

There was something about Narukami that made the little fox think everything would be all right from here on, and he wouldn't find himself abandoned in another box with a command. “Stay here until you're claimed.” He remembered the words through a wave of sleepiness and nausea that fogged his memory before that day, but couldn't really recall the man's face beyond a hat and silver wavy hair. Everything else was a blur.

Maybe...maybe it was o.k to trust this one.

The kind stranger had quickly gone to sleep as if he knew the storm outside wouldn't harm him, like the lightning would obey his every command. That must be an amazing power. 

Another booming clash fought for supremacy outside, and sent the little fox-boy scurrying back under the protective cover. He curled up to hug his tail against Yu's back, and suddenly for the first time since he could remember, the storm didn't frighten him. He was safe. As long as he could stay with Yu Narukami, he would be safe. 

With these thoughts cushioning his fear, he was asleep in seconds.


	3. School Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nanako discovers the fox demon playing with her Loveline magnifying glass the next morning. She and Yu agree to keep him their secret. Yu has no choice but to take him to school stowed away in his school bag. The fox is excited...until he gets to experience King Moron's class. The beautiful Yukiko Amagi snares his attention the whole time. Yukiko and Chie confront Yu on the rooftop during lunch time. They figure out the creature is a Fox demon yokai that shouldn't even exist, and thus doesn't belong to anyone. They have to call him something, so Yu takes one of Nanako's earlier suggestions and names the fox demon. The fox vows to live up to his name to show he's worth keeping. The trio go to Junes where they realize Yu can't keep him. Upset that he's destined to always be abandoned, the fox runs through the store. They encounter Mrs. Hanamura, who recognized what the fox-boy is, and agrees to check with her husband to see if they can keep the fox.

3rd SCENT: SCHOOL DAY

\----April 22nd. Yu's room. Friday morning...----

The suns rays had barely touched the moistened streets of Inaba just before the fox-boy woke up. He stretched out at the foot of the futon between the Human's two bare feet, yawned and rolled off onto the floor with a 'flump.' Shaking it off, he looked around. The room was still dimly lit from what little light filtered through the closed curtains. Awake and now bored, the first thing of interest to come to mind was simple exploration. He wanted to know where Yu had brought him. 

He peeked his head out into the hall and looked from side to side. There was an open door at the end of the hall where he could just make out the edge of a toilet. To his left were two more doors, and of course, the stairs to the first floor. He ventured into the hall curiously, though kept his ears open just in case. They twitched at every sound. 

So far, the house was silent. He moved to the next door left partially open and peeked inside. It was pink, and simple, but held an array of stuffed animals, and a collection of toys all of the same girl in a pink dress and detective cap. A magnifying glass with a mustache lay across a desk near the window. 

That had to be something worth checking out. He moved silently across the room, avoiding sheets of paper with simple crayon drawings on them so as not to wake the small inhabitant buried under a white and pink comforter. Prints of the same doll covered it surrounded by letters he couldn't completely make out. He'd just started to gain written literary knowledge, and could read a few of them, but couldn't remember where he'd been before to learn it. 

The little fox boy climbed up onto the chair and hopped onto the desk. The mirror lay face up, reflecting the thin shaft of sunlight peeking through the curtains –also sporting pictures of the happy girl with the detective hat in a pink skirt. He picked it up, turned it over, knocked on the surface, and made funny faces at his distorted reflection just below the thick brown plastic mustache. His tiny thumb pressed against a raised button on the peach-colored handle.

“Stop, or I'll pop a cap in ya!” 

The male voice filled the silent room. He yelped in surprise at the sudden volume and stumbled back onto some simple math homework, knocking a pencil off onto the floor. His tail fluffed out in pure instinctual reaction. The air returned to its quiet state once more, though the child in the bed stirred slightly from the sound. He gingerly moved forward to sniff the mirror. It didn't move. Maybe it was just a fluke? This was a mirror, not a person. But it spoke. He cautiously pushed the button again.

“He's the culprit! Grab him!”

This time, instead of running away, he smiled. Any fear gradually washed away as he pushed the button over and over to hear what else the funny mirror had to say.

“We're on the case!”

Click. 

“This case is classified top secret!”

Click.

“I think that it's investigation time!”

Click. 

“Freeze, and reach for the sky!”

He laughed and pushed the button again to restart its recording loop. It had snared all of his attention, so that he didn't even notice the little girl staring at him from a sitting position on the bed. 

“Hey,” she rubbed her eyes sleepily and blinked. “Who are you?”

He froze and slowly turned to face her. He stepped back slightly with wide eyes, his ears forward. 

“No, wait,” she slid off the futon to her feet and walked over with her hand out non-threateningly. “Don't go. I won't hurt you.” 

The little fox backed up against a ruler leaning on the wall under her corkboard. The tips of his ears were just a few inches over the top of the measuring stick. He bounced across to the windowsill behind the curtain, squinting his eyes from the bright sunlight.

“Don't run away,” she pulled back the curtain, but he zipped passed her to climb up to the top of a shelf with some toys and books. His tail knocked a few of them down. 

“Where'd you come from?” She smiled. “You look kinda strange, but cute and soft—like that little fox demon from a story book at school. Is that what you are?”

He yipped at her in answer, though the sound only made her smile widen. She seemed nice enough, and he could smell nothing but innocence and kindness from her. Sensing she wouldn't hurt him, he stepped forward to the edge of the shelf.

“Don't worry. I won't tell daddy you're here,” she whispered. “He might take you away. What's your name? I don't see a collar. But... you look like a kid, like me. Don't your parents miss you?” 

Parents? His head tilted slightly in confusion at the strange word. He shrugged. It had only been just him as far as he knew. Him and one other in the box he could barely remember. He tried to answer her with a series of high pitched barks and yips, when she suddenly gasped and held her finger to her mouth. He stopped, curious, then he heard why. There were footsteps coming down the hall, and they didn't sound like they belonged to Yu.

“It's daddy! Quick, hide!” She whispered urgently. 

He jumped off to the futon and dove under the blanket. Only his reddish-brown bushy tail was visible.

She tucked it under the covers just as the door opened.

“Nanako? Time to get ready for school.”

“Ok, daddy.”

Ryotaro glanced to the lump under the covers, then to the child eyes of his daughter. It must have been one of her stuffed animals. He yawned. “I have to leave soon, so hurry up, ok?”

She nodded and waited for him to walk away before she risked pulling the comforter back. “He's gone. It's clear. You can come out now.” she frowned. “I have to pack my books and get dressed. It's going to be another pop tart morning.” Still weary from the early wake up call by way of her Loveline magnifying glass, she yawned and put on her school clothes.

The fox demon jumped down from the bed and ran over to her chair where her bag dangled by one strap. He climbed back onto the desk to gather up everything he saw with numbers on it, plus the book, and stuffed them into the bag.

“Hm?” She turned around while tying a ribbon around one of her pig tails and laughed at the sight of his tail sticking out of the bag. “Haha. You're helpful. Thanks.”

The door opened and she froze, fearing her father had come back for some reason. 

Yu stood in the doorway with his school uniform on, jacket unbuttoned, and his bag slung over his shoulder. He'd awakened to find the little fox-boy missing, and dressed as quickly as possible in order to find the little guy before his uncle did. He noted the tail sticking out of his cousin's school bag. “So, that's where you went.”

“Don't tell daddy. Please,” she begged. 

The fox demon poked his head up out of the bag and yipped at the one who'd rescued him the night before. He scrambled out onto the floor.  
“I won't. I'm glad I found him first. I need to find who he belongs to, so this'll be our secret, ok?”

She smiled, relieved that her older cousin was being so cool. “Ok. He's a fox demon, and I don't think he has any parents.”

“A fox demon?” He thought back to the stories he'd learned as a child, and her logic seemed to make sense. The fox-boy did resemble the artists renderings, which made this even more mysterious. How could something from an old fairy tale exist in the real world? 

“Nanako?” Ryotaro called up from downstairs. “I've made poptarts to eat on the way and nuked some sausage paddies for breakfast. Are you ready? Brush your teeth.”

“Um, I'm almost ready!” She paused at the door next to Yu. “We can't leave him home alone. What if he gets lonely, or hungry, or needs to go outside?”

Yu looked back to the fox demon, and ran a series of options through his mind, but could only come up with one solution to the current problem: He had to bring him. “Go brush your teeth.” 

Worried, Nanako left to the bathroom to do so.

Yu set his bag down on the floor. “Looks like you're coming along.” He waited for the little fox-boy to sniff the bag, open it, look up at him curiously, then crawl inside. There was plenty of space, since Yu was a minimalist when it came to what he'd need for class. Just the basics: A binder, his book, a case of pens and pencils, and his bento box lunch in the side pocket made for keeping things cool or warm. It was roomy, albeit a little close quarters for the fox demon. “Stay quiet.” He shouldered the bag, easily able to carry the extra weight, and padded down stairs in his socks. He slipped his shoes on at the door. 

Ryotaro handed him a sausage biscuit and pop tart. “Nanako?” He called upstairs again. “C'mon.”

Yu grabbed a second one from the plate without a word , and was surprised when his uncle didn't ask why. He probably figured Yu was a growing boy and needed more than one. He'd made the whole box anyway, so it didn't matter. “I can walk her to school this morning.”

“Hm. Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I have time.”

“Well,” he eyed the stoic look of his nephew –the boy's expressions hardly ever changed. Just like his father. It must be a family trait on that side, because his sister wore her emotions on her sleeve. “All right, then.” He slung his jacket over his shoulder as Nanako came running down the stairs. “Yu's going to take you to school today.”

Her eyes widened and she looked up at the tall teenager. 

“You two be careful. I'll see you when I get home.” He said without much emotion, and left the house. They heard the car pull out of the driveway a few moments later. 

Yu exhaled. He looked down at the little girl, who was lifting the edge of the bag where the fox-boy was peeking up to see out. “C'mon. Let's go.”

She smiled, slipped on her shoes, and the two left the house. 

The air chilled their exposed skin. It was spring, though Inaba's air was much more fresh than anything in the city. It rolled right down from the mountains into the valley and fields without the hindrance of big corporation factories or heavy smog. It had taken him a couple of days to adjust to the clean air. He was pretty sure the oxygen level was what gave him that sudden powerful headache at the gas station the day he'd arrived. 

They moved onto the walking path near the park to get to her school. He handed the extra sausage biscuit down to the fox demon, who flipped up the top of the bag, took the food in both hands, and nibbled. 

“He's so cute,” Nanako couldn't take her eyes off his ears and white fur at the end of his tail. “Where'd you find him?”

“Last night on the way home.”

“In the rain? That's sad.” She reached out to scratch his head behind his ears, and was happy when he yipped and smiled. “What's his name?”

“He doesn't have one that I know of.”

“We should name him!”

The fox-boy looked over to her, then up to Yu as he ate his breakfast. He thought long and hard on their suggestion, trying to find an answer, but nothing came to mind. Maybe he really didn't have a name beyond being directly addressed. 

“He probably does by his parents, or owners, or... whoever.”

“Then,” she fought to think of a way to counteract his logic, “but we have to call him something until then, right?”

“hm.” He walked along. “Ok.”

“Um.....” She pressed a finger to her lips. “We've been learning in history about who the gods were in the past, like Izanagi, Izanami, Konohana, Jiraiya... and then we looked up our names for fun. My name means 'child of the green,', and daddy's name means, um... 'stout,' or 'stoic,' or... just like daddy with being a detective.” 

“I see. Any suggestions?”

“Well,” she looked skyward at a flock of birds overhead as she thought. “He helped me pack my bag, and he's cute, and has furry ears...” A grin creased her small face as the perfect name hit her. She closed her eyes in delight at how cleaver she was. “This boy in class is leaving today, so the teacher had him tell us what his name means. It means 'to be of great help,'” she stated matter-of-factly. “His name is Yosuke. I remembered because his mom brought the whole class cupcakes from Junes yesterday for his farewell party. I love cupcakes. And Junes! What if we named him 'Junes?'”

“Hm. Probably not such a great idea.”

“Then Yosuke?”

“Kind of old school.” He looked down at Nanako, then to the fox demon's head as the little guy finished off the sausage biscuit. “I'll think about it.”

“Ok.” She grinned. 

“Remember not to tell anyone.”

“Ah!” She pulled an invisible zipper across her mouth and pretended to throw away the key. 

They stopped when they reached the entrance to her school. “Bye!” She waved and ran into the schoolyard to meet up with her class.

The little fox demon waved back. They moved on. 

The closer they got to the high school, the more students they passed. Yu had to close and latch the bag after a while so the tiny traveler couldn't be seen. He looked up at the school and let out a heavy sigh. He prayed today would go on without any problems. It was the least he could ask for. 

The fox-boy's ears twitched at all the sounds outside the bag; the chatter of students, the sounds of bicycle bells, footsteps on the pavement, the wind through the trees. He grinned and peeked out through a loop at the top edge of the bag where the leather didn't fold all the way over. All the different smells and sights were amazing. He wanted more. He wasn't afraid at all. He was curious and couldn't wait to see everything this strange place had to offer. 

He watched as the bag bobbed up and down with the bag carrier's motions up the stairs and into the halls of Yasogami High School. This was going to be one of the most exciting days of his young life. 

* * * *  
Two hours into the school day, and the fox demon wanted to bang his head repeatedly against the chalk board just to get the teacher to stop talking. He'd been told to keep quiet before they entered the class room, so he did, or tried his best to,anyway. He would forget every once in a while and sneeze, which made Yu have to mimic the sound in order to not be caught. That would get him another verbal lashing from the teacher, and another rank higher on his 'shit list.' The fox-boy felt bad after the second time, and did his best to remain as quiet as possible. 

He'd heard one of the other students call the old, buck-toothed teacher, 'King Moron.' After listening to the lecture about history, and the verbal abuse toward the class –which he could sense Yu wasn't accustomed to, and was too afraid to respond, like he didn't have enough courage—Yosuke was one hundred-percent done with King Moron. He'd have been happy to stay in Yu's room all day. He sighed, lying on his back on a math book, made himself learn the letters on a piece of literary homework tucked in a side pocket until he could read every visible sentence, and waited for this day to just end. Please end. He would give anything for the clock on the wall to actually move. 

“I'm Sorry I'm late, Mr. Morooka,” he heard the beautiful clear tones of a girl rushed and out of breath. “I had problems at the inn with some customers, and--”

“Give me your excuses later, Miss Amagi,” King Moron barked. “Just open your book and good luck catching up with the rest of the class. Now, as I was saying to you spaced out ingrates,...”

The little fox shifted to look out the other side of the bag past Yu's legs to the vision of perfection in a red sweater sitting in the seat on the other side from him behind a girl with short blond hair in a green and yellow jacket. She smelled like strawberries, and her long black hair flowed like silk down her back. The only accessory taming those raven locks was a simple red headband. He couldn't take his eyes off her. He leaned his hand against his lopsided grin and pushed up the edge of the bag just a little to see her more clearly. 

Yukiko frowned at being late again and removed her book. She glanced to the new transfer student briefly. He was sort of handsome. She had no time for that, besides, just speaking to anyone new made her nervous, so she studied the page they were on –thanks to her best friend's help telling her where they were. Catching up was easy. She was one of the smartest girls in her class. 

Yukiko stole another glance at the silver-haired boy, but noticed something out of place. His school bag had two big brown eyes staring back at her. She blinked and cocked her head slightly to the side. She tapped on Chie's back, who turned around, then looked where her best friend nodded. The two exchanged a quiet conversation through expressions only. It was decided right there that they would confront him about it. Although Yukiko didn't want to bother him, Chie was now dead set on finding out why he'd brought an animal to school. 

* * * *  
Yu took refuge on the rooftop. The day held far more stress than he'd anticipated, and he wanted to be alone. He'd spotted the door to the roof a few days ago, and by about the middle of first period the first day he was here, he needed to get away to clear his mind and get rid of King Moron's negativity. Hence, it had become his 'spot.'

The little fox demon sat cross-legged next to him on the cement bench behind the safety of the rooftop's chain link fence border and ate his portion of the bento box. Yu had never had a pet, but he was smart enough to keep this out of the little fox-boy's reach until now. “Three hours to go. Think you can handle it?”

His response was a long drawn out whine and a faceplant into the rice. 

“I know the feeling.”

“Hey, new guy!” 

Yu looked up at the demanding tone that sounded like its owner was going to kick him off the building. The girl in the green jacket and the one in the red sweater walked briskly toward him. At least, the girl in the green jacket did. Her best friend held back a bit as if being dragged along. He found her shyness to be endearing. For a split second, he thought about how he could hide the fox demon, but it was already too late. They'd already had more than enough time to see him. “Can I help you?”

Chie was ready to bluntly ask why he had an animal with him when Yukiko's shyness snapped. It was replaced with the joy of someone just stumbling upon a box of kittens. 

“Oh my gosh, he's so cute! With that little shirt, and those ears, and that fluffy tail. He's adorable!” She moved over to crouch down and ruffle his ears. 

The little fox demon didn't even budge. He'd been wanting this since she first walked into the room. He grinned and his tail wagged in happiness. 

“...” Yu just blinked at her.

Chie folded her arms. “Uhm, gee, Yukiko, can we ask him why he has it and what it is before you adopt it?”

Yukiko picked up the little fox demon as she turned to sit on the bench at a 90 degree angle from the one Yu occupied. She smiled when the little creature squirmed out of her grip and moved around to bury his face in her hair, which triggered a giggle fit.

“Well,” Chie sat next to her, “It is kinda cute. Reminds me of my dog. I'm Chie Satonaka, by the way, and this is my friend Yukiko. Don't mind her. She giggle fits.”

“I saw him in your bag in class. Where'd you get him?”

He exhaled. This was not a situation he could leave alone to resolve itself. Like it or not, these two were involved now. It would be better to just tell them. “I found him last night in a box at the shrine.”

“That was one of the worst storms we've had in weeks.” She frowned at the idea of someone leaving anyone or anything living out in that weather all night.

The little fox demon hopped down to put both hands against Chie's shoes and looked up at her with a little series of 'yips,' telling his story. The silver haired man who'd left him in the box could understand him, so he didn't see why these three looked at him like he was speaking another language. 

Chie lifted her legs so he was sitting on her shoes, and steadily bounced them up and down like a seesaw. “Poor little guy. I wonder what he is. He looks like a fox, but like a kid, too. And he's so little. I've never seen anything like him before.” She cringed when he turned sideways on her shoes and grinned. “Ack! And he's a little pervert.” She let him drop to the ground. It wasn't far, but enough to send a clear “NO. BAD” message.  
He rubbed at his butt and frowned, his ears folding back. He glared at her, yipped, and climbed up onto Yu's lap, then back down in front of his part of the bento box. He didn't see anything anyway. Besides, she was wearing bicycle shorts. Killjoy. 

Yukiko leaned back on her hands slightly as she studied him. “I think he's a fox demon.”

Yu had already gone back to eating his lunch. “That's what my little cousin said.”

“But how is that possible?” Chie asked. “Fox demons... animal demons... are a myth from ages ago. They don't exist. Maybe he's some kind of weird science experiment.”

The little fox demon shook his head from side to side. 

Yu swallowed his food. “I think he just said 'no.'” 

“He can understand language?” Yukiko sat up, now completely intrigued.

Yu nodded. 

“That would make sense for an animal demon,” she continued, recalling what she'd read throughout her life about fairy tales and legends from ancient Japan. “They're said to possesses great cognitive ability, to make themselves look Human, but also retain the abilities of their animal selves along with mannerisms. He seems really young, though.” She scratched one of his ears. “If that's the case, he may not belong to anyone if he shouldn't even be here at all.”

“So, he's alone,” Chie let herself feel a little bad about dropping him on the ground. 

An awkward silence lived between the four of them as the little fox demon finished off his lunch. 

“What's his name?” Yukiko finally asked.

Yu picked up the empty box and tied it back in its fabric to take home to wash. “He doesn't have one. My cousin suggested a few names. I was kind of leaning toward 'Yosuke.'”

“Kind of old school,” Chie noted. 

“I like it,” Yukiko smiled. “He can grow into his name.”

“And maybe learn not to be such a perv,” Chie glared at the small creature. 

He shot a raspberry back at her.

“Well, then.” Yu lightly ruffled the top of the little fox demon's head. “I guess your name is Yosuke from now on.” 

The little fox demon looked up at him with wide eyes in disbelief. He finally had a name. Something inside him changed at that moment. He'd been accepted, and he no longer feared this giant would put him back in the box at the shrine and walk away. He jumped up and down, spun in the air and yipped with delight. 

“So, I guess you're keeping him.” Chie smiled despite herself at the little fox demon's elation. 

“That's the thing. I can't.”

All three stared at him. The little fox demon's ears drooped and his tail stopped wagging.

“My uncle will never allow it.”

“Maybe he can stay with you, Chie.” 

The other looked at her best friend, then the little demon. “I'm staying with you tonight at the inn, remember?” When she'd stormed onto the roof, she'd only expected to get an answer about the presence of an animal in the new transfer student's bag, not be deciding the new home life for a yokai – something that shouldn't even exist. “Though, he might get along with my dog.” She stretched and stood. “I need to go by Junes after school and pick up some stuff for the house. I can call my dad then and ask. We can all meet at the front gate of the school and walk to Junes from there.”

“That sounds good,” Yukiko stood and brushed down her hounds tooth print skirt. “I'll do some quick studying in math on animal demons. It shouldn't be too hard to look up online.”

Yu nodded. 

The two girls waved good-bye and walked away back to the stairs.

Yosuke plopped down heavily. That feeling of acceptance had deflated like a sorry balloon. He was going to wind up back in that box. He just knew it. 

Yu looked down as the little guy pulled both knees up to his chest and wrapped his tail around his legs. He said nothing. He simply rested his hand between the others ears. 

The fox demon leaned into it. He had to show them he was worth keeping. He had to live up to his new name. Whatever happened, wherever he ended up, he wouldn't let Yu's kindness be forgotten. Yu was his friend now, and just like the bond with the other demon in the box –the other he could feel, knew existed, but wished he could remember—he would not take it lightly. 

He just hoped he wouldn't screw it up. 

* * * *  
\----Junes...----

The Friday night super sales at Junes could draw in a bigger crowd that Yu thought this town actually held. He wove through the masses rushing to get that next big deal before the sale ended at 6pm that night. It was only 4pm, so the elevator the three of them squeezed into to take to the rooftop food court was full to capacity –or at least that's how it felt. He heard a small disgruntled sound from his bag as he held it in front of him in order to keep it from getting crushed by a rather large individual carrying a 30” computer monitor box marked '½ off.' Someone in there had forgotten to put on deodorant. No one in the elevator was rude enough to say anything, so everyone just dealt with it. Except for the fox demon. Yu had to cough repeatedly to cover up a loud whine that roughly translated into “yuck!” If it was bad for him, it had to be horrible for a creature with a sensitive sense of smell. 

Everyone poured out of the elevator when the doors finally opened. The B.O man walked away, whoever he was. Yukiko, Yu, and Chie all took a deep breath of the evening air. 

“Thank God. I thought I was going to puke.” Chie sniffed her shirt. “Awe, now I smell like a jock strap. I need to get some air freshener, too.”  
They sat at a round table near the edge of the building where the air was cleanest. There was hardly anyone there, so Yu set his bag on the table and opened it. 

Yosuke coughed and spilled out of the bag with a yarf of disgust. He flopped onto his back and inhaled deeply to clear his nose. That was one of the worst smells he'd ever experienced in his entire life. 

Yu leaned back in the chair.

Yukiko unfolded a print out from her bag and handed it over. “This was on a website that featured theoretical information on animal demons. It explains how they grow so fast, why, learn speech, and how they can hide their animal features from Humans, along with what they are able to do. It also said that they are forever bonded to those they befriend at a young age, and the one who gives young demons a name.”

“So, he's stuck with him?” Chie leaned over to look at the paper.

Yukiko nodded. “According to this, yes. But there's no way to know for sure, because, well, animal demons are...were...a myth. It's the best I could do on short notice.”

“Turned out your over efficiency came in handy, Yukiko.” Chie stretched. “Now that I can breathe, I'll call my dad.” She dug her phone out of her school bag. 

“I'll get us something to drink. Do you want anything?” Yukiko stood.

“Thanks. Dr. Salt.” Yu said. He folded up the paper and pocketed it. 

The little fox demon yipped and sat up with his hands planted on the table between his legs.

“And water.” He didn't want to imagine what this little guy would be like on caffeine. 

She nodded and left. 

Chie hung up her phone, though her expression didn't give Yu or their small companion much hope. “He said no. All I said was that a friend had a puppy they needed someone to take care of. He's in a really bad mood today.” She looked at the two apologetically. “I'm sorry.”

“You tried.”

They sat in silence within the noise of the Junes food court. 

Yosuke sniffed at the air. Something was being bbq'd, and it smelled a million times better than anything he'd come across yet. 

“I can try to talk to my uncle tonight whe—”

The fox-boy stood, looked to the two, yipped, and jumped off the table, onto a chair, and to the ground. If he was going to have one last meal before being put back into that box, he was going to gorge himself on whatever it was that had hooked his senses. Plus, it would dull the pain of being abandoned again. He ran right between Yukiko's feet.

“Wah!” Yukiko spun around in a delicate ballet move and managed to save all the drinks. “Where's he going?”

“Catch him!” Chie dove after him, though missed when he scrambled under a chair. She, Yu, and Yukiko split up through the food court to try to corral him in. 

Panicking, though still on the hunt for that delicious smell, he dodged each of them. Quick on his feet, he zipped past people with trays of food, causing them to upturn their recent purchases, and took off into the stairwell when someone opened the door. Yu caught the door just as it was about to close and barreled through with the others right behind. He leaped down to the next level, though just missed the fox demon as it took off into the electronics department. 

“We can corner him by the t.vs!” Chie said. “I know this area. My family's been thinking about getting a bigger one for a while, so I've been scouting them out for prices. There's a large one near the back corner that's been here since Junes opened.” 

“We'll corner him there,” Yu said. They split up.

Yosuke ran through the isles, around people leaving the area, and by displays of electronics. He looked behind him for his pursuers. Seeing the coast was clear, he thought he'd be home free to find that bbq'd goodness once again. He scrambled on all fours around a corner, hit a freshly mopped area on the floor, and spun across an open space past a rack of MP3 players and headphones right into the side of a trashcan. A pair of headphones clattered to the floor next to him. Dizzy, he sat up and rubbed at his eyes to make the multiples of everything merge back into only one of everything. 

When he looked up, a slim woman with long black hair was looking down at him. “Oh, are you ok? I saw that from over there and—“ She paused when he stood, shook his head, and flopped over again. He was about a foot and a half tall, maybe less. “Oh my...”

Yu slid on the mop water, though stopped smoothly, and simply stared without any change in his expression. 

The woman picked up the fox demon and faced the tall youth. “Does he belong to you?”

“...” 

Chie and Yukiko slid in behind him, though Chie fell on her rear. “Ouch.” Yukiko helped her up. 

Yu looked from the woman to the demon, then back, never blinking those silver eyes. “Yes. I'm sorry. He got away from me.”

“Interesting.” She held the fox-boy up to face him. 

Yosuke squirmed and yipped, though stopped at the look in her dark eyes. She was smiling. It was the same look Nanako had given him that morning. 

Yu stepped closer.

She handed Yosuke back. “You found a fox demon.”

The three stared in disbelief. She'd come to this conclusion on her own, without any prompting, and she hadn't showed any sign of discomfort or disbelief. It was as though she had dealt with this sort of phenomena before. What were the odds of that in this tiny town of boredom?

“Better take good care of him. You're stuck with him if you named him.” She smiled and waved, then walked through the mop water smoothly, her heels clicking on the floor. 

“I'm sorry, but...who are you?” Chie asked.

The woman looked back. “Mrs. Hanamura.”

“You manage this store,” Yukiko bowed in respect. Everyone in town knew the Hanamuras had moved here a few months ago to manage this branch of Junes, and every shop owner in town loathed them for it. Yukiko's family, however, didn't mind. 

“How did you know?” Yu asked calmly.

“When the whole town hates you, you learn to keep busy on your own. I've always been interested in ancient lore—Greek, Egyptian, Roman, Chinese—so I read up on this area which used to be heavy into the Shinto religion. Animal demons came up in legends as helpers to the gods.” She shrugged lightly. “It's a hobby.” She regarded each of them. “Take care of that one. And please don't break anything or your parents will be notified.” She turned to walk away again. 

The three looked to each other, then Yukiko nudged Yu forward. 

Yu moved quickly to catch up to her. “If you don't mind, Mrs. Hanamura, my uncle most likely won't let me keep him.”

She stopped, looked him in the eyes, then to the young demon in his arms, and exhaled. “I'll talk to my husband. But don't get your hopes up. He's a serious man. What's your uncle's name?”

“Ryotaro Dojima. He's a detective.”

She nodded with a small sound of approval, then walked away. 

The two best friends stood beside him. Both girls smiled. 

“Looks like your problem may be solved,” Chie folded her arms. 

Hopefully it would be. He didn't think his uncle wanted him here, let alone a creature of myth. “Then there's only one thing left to do.”

The girls regarded him curiously. 

“Find whatever he was after that smelled so good and try some.” With that, he walked to the stairs, back to the rooftop.

The blond gave a knowing grin. “No need to wonder. That's a beef stick. I'd recognize its aroma a mile away.”

“You have before,” Yukiko stated. “It's like steak radar. It's kinda creepy.” 

“What's a beef stick?” Yu asked.

Chie's jaw hit the floor in absolute horror. She froze halfway up the stairs as though someone had just thrown a baby down the shaft for shits and giggles. “Tell me I did not just hear those words leave your mouth.” She ran up past him and opened the door to let them both enter the food court. Fortunately, their things were still at the table. 

She let it close and draped her arms over both of their shoulders. “You're about to taste the food of the Gods. Right this way!” She marched with objective down to the end of the food court.

“Seems like a reoccurring theme here.”

Yosuke yipped in agreement, though he would never say 'no' to something that smelled that tantalizing. 

Yu sat down at the table with Yukiko, set the fox demon next to his bag, and waited for Chie to return with the promised deliciousness. Yosuke had gone to drawing what looked like characters with the pen of his finger on the table top. Apparently, that much time spent at school stuck in his bag with grammar homework had rubbed off on him. 

If these Gods everyone kept talking about were on his side, Mrs. Hanamura would call. Until then, he had to come up with a good excuse to convince his uncle to let Yosuke the fox demon boy stay at the house just in case. 

Yu took a deep breath, unfolded the paper Yukiko had given him, and crossed his fingers in hope that his luck leveled up since he'd arrived. Maybe his courage had done the same and he would finally be able to tell King Moron to lighten up on him. He sighed. Nope. He foresaw that happening when he gained enough to walk into the girls bathroom. 

Still, Yu Narukami crossed his fingers anyway.


	4. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yu convinces his uncle to let the fox demon stay, but under the stipulation that he has to find the yokai another home. A week later, Mrs. Hanamura calls saying she and her husband will take care of him. Yu isn't prepared for how painful this separation will be.

\----------------------------

4th SCENT: HOME

“Welcome home.” 

Nanako's chipper voice greeted Yu as he walked through the front door. She was sitting on the floor at the table watching an infomercial on T.V. It seemed Tanaka's Amazing Commodities was broadcast this far out into the boonies, and wasn't just a city thing. He eyed the latest bizarre attraction; a fruit dicing machine that could also deshell edemame at the same time. Who would buy something like that?

The fox demon launched himself from the bag before Yu set it down on the couch, and jumped across the cushions. He bounced on one just for the sake of the act, then to the floor and up to Nanako.

She watched him and giggled when started running around the room. “Did you find who he belongs to?”

Yu opened the refrigerator and studied its contents to see if anything caught his eye. He spotted the pot with Nanako's science project chilling next to a slice of ham on a plate. He'd noticed the ham on day one of living here, and it was already into the second week. He didn't trust the ham, and left it alone. The science project showed a few of the seeds had sprouted into grass shoots. Thankfully, she had enough time to let it grow until she had to present it to the class. “He doesn't belong to anyone. You were right about him, though.” He grabbed some fried rice and closed the door, popped the rice into the microwave, and nuked it for a few seconds.

“So, he is a fox demon? I knew it!” Her hand brushed the small fox-boy's tail when he darted by. “I wish we could keep him. He could be like a little brother, and a pet, and uh.... um... How are you supposed to treat a fox demon?”

Yu shrugged and ate a few bites of rice. It really had no flavor. He'll have to make dinner tonight and leave the spices out for his uncle, who never seemed to use them. “Someone I met at school gave me some information. Maybe there's something here.” He took the folded paper from his back pocket and moved to sit at the table on the floor with his rice. 

Their small companion climbed up his back to look at the paper over his shoulder, and reached for the rice. 

“Yosuke. No.”

The fox demon whined and slid back to the floor. 

Nanako's eyes widened. “You named him? I'm glad.” She got up and picked up the fox demon. “Daddy called and said he would be home late, so Yosuke can help us make dinner.”

Yu finished off the rice and set the chopsticks down. “I suppose.”

A line of commercials followed Tanaka's amazing commodities. One of them completely roped in Nanako's attention and she rocked back and forth, holding the fox demon in her arms. His tail swayed lazily with the motions. When she started to sing, he yipped to sing along. 

“'Every day's great at your Junes.'” Nanako sat down, still holding the fox. “I love Junes.”

Yu smiled slightly. He watched her struggle to keep the tiny demon in her lap, but her captive managed to wiggle away and ran to back door. His cousin followed and slid it open so the two could go play in the dwindling daylight. 

He leaned back on his hands as another program started on t.v, but he wasn't focused on it. His mind was thick with sorting through explanations on why that they needed to keep a creature of myth around the house. His uncle was a stern man who rarely showed any higher level of caring above mediocre. Plus, he'd come home drunk twice this week. Yu had started making it a habit to stay awake until Nanako went to bed, or Dojima came home. It wasn't that he was abusive, or angry. Ryotaro would never lay a hand on his daughter, even if he was forced to at gun point. He just made Yu nervous. He was pretty sure the history between these two was very separated and stand-offish before he arrived in Inaba. Dojima would come home, crash on the couch, complain about Adachi or the latest case—sometimes Adachi brought him home, so he was there to hear it—but it seemed there was a different element plaguing the older detective. 

The sounds of laughter and playful yipping drifted into the room through the open door. He hoped his uncle would come home simply tired from the day with no hint of inebriation. 

He took his plate to the sink, washed it, put it away, then began rummaging through the cupboards for ingredients. 

The fox demon bound inside after Nanako. The two ran upstairs, and he could hear her explaining how to wash his hands and feet so they could make dinner. This was the first time he'd seen her act like a child and not like she had to shoulder responsibility meant for someone older. Determined, Yu began putting together the tastiest meal he knew how to create. They needed to knock this one out of the park. 

He was soon joined by the other two. Despite being about 15 inches tall, Yosuke did his best to help by putting plates and chopsticks haphazardly on the table when Nanako passed them down to him. The whole event of making dinner had forced Yu to see this little guy more as a small sentient being than an animal. Nanako stood on a stool kept in the corner in order to fry up some vegetables while the fox demon stood on the counter rolling up prepared spring rolls Yu set aside so they could be fried. Both laughed when the little fox sneezed and fell into the sink. He was covered in flour, so he would need to be bathed before dinner. 

Once everything was cleared, Nanako set the food out on the low table and covered the hot plates with towels while Yu tried to wash the mess off the fox demon. 

Yosuke's complaints about being essentially 'hosed down' in the kitchen sink fell on def ears as Yu cleaned him up. He'd seen enough on t.v to figure it out. 

His little cousin's only contribution was to give words of encouragement. “He'll be clean in no time!” She'd given her dolls enough baths that she could wash the tiny fox, but her cousin insisted he do it. She laughed at his awkward control. It was clear he wasn't used to bathing anyone.  
The little fox-boy tilted his face up to let the water flow over his ears and gargled. Maybe this wasn't so bad. The water actually felt great as it washed the day away. 

Yu wrapped a towel around him and set him on the floor. Water quickly pooled on the tile as it dripped from his soaking wet, drooping ears and tail. Nanako came running in and squealed in little giggles when the fox shook as much water off of himself as possible. His fur poofed out in response. She quickly ran upstairs, grabbed one of her stuffed toys, and ran back down. She removed the long sleeved orange v-neck shirt from the toy bear. “Here. You can wear this while yours is in the laundry.” 

He put it on. It fit about the same. Clean, and happy, he ran out of the kitchen and back to bouncing on the couch.  
Yu sat on his side of the table while he flipped through the channels. Nanako plopped down at her usual place when he stopped the remote on a Magical Detective Girl LoveLine made for t.v movie. It would keep her occupied until his uncle came home. 

Time moved slowly as they waited. After a half hour, they decided to eat their meals before it got too cold. The movie ended an hour later. Nanako yawned, rolled over onto her feet, and took their plates to the kitchen. Yosuke was asleep under the table.

“I've got it, Nanako. Go ahead and go to bed.”

“But what about daddy?” she yawned. 

He hardly understood her, but knew what her question would have been. “I'll stay up.”

“Ok.” She started for the stares, but stopped, turned to look at the scene of the living room and kitchen, smiled with contentment, and went upstairs. 

Yu did the dishes and put his uncle's plate of food in the refrigerator. It was already 9pm. He sat back down and did the only thing he could do. Wait. 

The front door opened about thirty minutes later.

“You're still up?” Dojima slung his jacket over the hook by the door. “The house smells good.” 

“Nanako and I cooked dinner.” Yu stated. His uncle's clarity in speech lifted the heavy worry suffocating the room. He had not come home drunk. 

“Oh. Sorry I missed it.” He opened the refrigerator to take the plate out and heat it up, though when he turned around, he paused as he stared straight at his nephew. “What is that?” He demanded.

Yu glanced down at his feet. The fox-boy had awakened and was now huddling behind his right leg. “Uncle, let me explain—“

Ryotaro held up a hand. “Absolutely not. There's already a strange cat-thing at the precinct I've had to deal with for the past week, and I am not going to do the same in my own home.”

“Cat-thing?”

He set the plate down. “The chief's wife adopted it. We don't know what it is. It's a long story I won't get into, but it's been in my case files, on my desk, in all the books. The only good thing its done has brought me a fresh cup of coffee after it knocked my cup onto the floor. We don't need an animal...girl...thing running around disrupting police business.”

Yu's eyes widened slightly in disbelief. “The station has a cat demon?”

But his words were overshadowed by his uncle's demand. “And now there's another.... whatever it is. Two in one week. It is not staying in this house.”

“He doesn't have an owner.”

”So it's a stray.”

“He's a fox demon.“

“Fox demon?” Dojima harumphed. “Whatever it is, that's how most households get stuck with unwanted pets.”

“There's already someone who may take him. The Hanamuras. Mrs. Hanamura said—”

“He's not staying here at all. That's my final word.”

“But, Uncle—”

“NO!”

Yosuke could sense Yu's panic rising. He clutched the fabric of the Human's pants in his tiny hands when Dojima yelled, and tried to hide from the tide of anger exuding from the older man. 

Yu glanced down, then back to his uncle. The detective intimidated him, even though he was family. He didn't really know Ryotaro Dojima at all. He set his jaw in determination, despite the trepidation, and stood his ground, though his voice remained calm. “I found him in a box at the shrine during the last storm. Someone left him out there to either be picked up by animal control, or die of exposure. He has no one. I couldn't walk away. I have to do what's right. You have no idea what he's already done for Nanako.”

“Nanako's seen him?” Ryotaro worried his face with his hands. “Dammit, Yu.”

“She was happy.”

The other was silent for a long time. Ryotaro moved into the living room and dropped down wearily onto the couch. He knew he'd been distant with his daughter since Chisato, her mother, was killed. He'd hidden everything that reminded him of her –photographs, trinkets, her favorite things, even her coffee cup was tucked into the back of the cupboard, though he couldn't hide from his daughter even though he tried. Thinking about her still brought too much pain. She was the love of his life. Yet, could not believe he would be so heartless as to deny his only child happiness. He was on an extremely important mission of justice, and had left her alone a lot in the past year. 

He glanced over at the tall youth as the little fox demon stepped out from behind his nephew's legs.

Yosuke moved cautiously forward a few steps, stopped with his arms folded, looked at the angry giant, and yipped softly. He really wanted to stay. He liked it here, and liked the people.

He eyed it. “It's not a fox, or a person. So it can't really be considered a 'pet.'”

Yu remained silent, his heart racing.

“You said someone might want him?”

He nodded once. 

Dojima lolled his head back with a heavy sigh within a groan. “Fine. He can stay.”

Yu exhaled in relief. 

“But you have to find him another home. Got it?”

He nodded. “Yes, sir.”

The little demon's tail wagged in happiness. 

“We can keep him?”

Both men and demon looked up at the small voice from the top of the stairs. Nanako practically threw herself into the living room to scoop up their little friend and spin him around. “All right! Thank you, daddy! Thank you! Thank you!” She handed him over to Yu, who barely had a chance to play catch before she climbed onto the couch and flung her arms around her father. “I love you, daddy.” 

Ryotaro lost this battle. He wrapped his arm around Nanako for a moment. “It's not permanent, young lady. You should be in bed.”

“Uh huh. Right.” She slid off the couch, bowed deeply to her father, gave her cousin a hug, and ran up the stairs. “G'night!”

The detective moved to heat up the food. “He's your responsibility, Yu. Anything he does while he's here falls onto your shoulders.”

“I understand.”

“Good.”

Ryotaro took the heated plate and disappeared into his room. 

It had started to rain again. The sound of the droplets pattering against the glass replaced the fresh conversation and surrounded the two alone in the living room. Yu held the little fox demon out at arms length. “You have an unusually high amount of luck.”

Yosuke just grinned, wagged his tail, and yipped in agreement. He wasn't going to be abandoned again after all. 

* * * *  
\----April 30th. Saturday...----

The previous week was pretty uneventful..aside from having to housebreak the fox after Yu caught him in the corner. That was the first time he'd been left unsupervised since he'd brought him home. He never thought in his life he'd have to go through that kind of training for anyone at any time...ever. Thankfully, the fox caught on immediately. 

Nanako had insisted they take a picnic to the Samegawa flood plain on Saturday—where Yosuke fell into the water. At first, Yu feared the little guy would drown, and ran in after him just to find the fox demon doing the back stroke in circles. Apparently, he really liked the water, which made Yu feel better about his revenge of taking a hose to him in the back yard that evening to clean him off. 

He happily enjoyed a lazy Sunday. He and the fox took a nap outside in the sunlight while Nanako watched t.v. That proved to be one of the most relaxing afternoon's he'd had in a very long time. 

Later on, Yu taught the two how to make paper cranes. The house was filled with them in a couple of hours, and did not go over well when his uncle came home to find the living room flooded with origami. He made the three clear up the mess. 

Monday and Tuesday passed with boring regularity. Yu brought the little fox demon along both days, because he'd watched him try to draw characters on the Junes food court table and figured a few more lessons might not be a bad idea. Plus, he wouldn't have to suffer alone. Yukiko and Chie met up with him on the rooftop for lunch both days. Discussing the details of animal demons and what they could do to help the little fox quickly dominated the conversations. Beyond that, it was talk about class. Before he knew it, Yu realized the small demon had somehow gained him two friends within his first two weeks of living in Inaba. They were nice, with their own unique personalities, and definitely not hard on the eyes. Wen they got home, Yu had to stop Yosuke from eating Nanako's science project.

Wednesday was when everything changed. 

Ryotaro had just slipped on his jacket to leave for the precinct that morning when his phone rang. 

“Yeah. Dojima.” He held up his hand after a moment to halt his nephew and daughter when they started to leave the house. “Uh uh. Yes, I remember you, Mrs. Hanamura. Any more issues? ... Good. …Uh huh... I see. …Yes, he's my nephew.”

Yu listened as the conversation went on.

“Ok. I'll tell him. Thank you.” He closed the phone and pocketed it, then turned to the kids at the door. “That was Mrs. Hanamura. She wants you to bring that fox kid to her house after school today. Said she talked it over when her husband, and they agreed to take him.”

A pain in Yu's heart sank. Part of him had been hoping Mrs. Hanamura would never call. 

Nanako's eyes teared up. “I don't want him to go.”

“I know, but you remember I said this was only temporary.”

She nodded and wiped at her eyes. 

Yu rested his hand gently on her hair and knelt down as the little fox poked his head out of the bag. “I'll walk you to school, and you can say good-bye on the way. That ok?”

She nodded again.

“I'll text you the address,” Dojima said. He hated to see his daughter cry. He rubbed her head caringly as he walked past to his car and drove away before she could argue with more tears as her ally. 

Yu stood and took Nanako's hand in his. He let go when the fox demon jumped from the bag and into her arms. 

She held onto him for the entire walk to her school. 

When they got to her front gate, she set him down. “We're friends forever, ok?” She sniffled. 

Yosuke nodded with a yip, and hugged her. 

Nanako let him go, looked up to her cousin, and ran into her school to keep herself from turning back. 

Yosuke climbed back into the bag and watched the school until it was out of sight. He whined and settled onto the books. 

Yu didn't know what to say to comfort the young demon, so he simply scratched its ears. 

They endured the day, but there were surprisingly a minimal amount of tears from Yukiko and Chie. Yu filled them in on what happened while they ate lunch on the rooftop, and the two agreed to walk with him to the Hanamuras. Although this was a moment where he thought he would want solitude, he had to admit to himself that he didn't want to be alone. He only nodded in approval at the offer. 

The sky threatened more rain in the distance, though for now, it was partially cloudy beneath blue skies as the three walked through Inaba. Yosuke sat up with his hands on the edge of the bag to see the town, and whimpered when they passed the street Yu would normally turn down to go home. He looked ahead of them to an unknown area up the hill with slim, but nice houses lining the sides. The farther up they walked, the nicer the homes became. Each footstep felt like it lasted a whole day when it was only another ten minutes from Yu's street. 

They stopped at the end of a cul-de-sac and faced a large three storied house. 

Chie whistled. “Wow. Little guy's really steppin' up in the world. Beats, my house by a ton.”

Yukiko rested her hand on her new friend's shoulder. “Are you ready?”

He appreciated that, even though he didn't voice it. That kind of concern held true meaning. He nodded. He walked forward up to the door, leaving the two behind on the sidewalk. The yard was nicely kept, and from what he could see through the windows, the interior was spacious, and boasted a giant television in the living area. The Hanamuras were in no way hurting financially. That put Yu at ease a little. At least they could take care of him. 

He lifted his finger, hesitated, and pressed the doorbell. 

The door opened a moment later to reveal Mrs. Hanamura. She smiled at the youth. Her hair was pulled up into a lose pony tail, and she wore very simple, but nice relaxed clothing with a hint of traditional Japanese style in the cut. “Ah, Mr. Narukami. Please come in.” 

He stepped inside, slipped his shoes off, and followed her lead into the living room. He set his bag down on the floor.

The little fox-boy crawled out onto the plush carpet, sniffed the air, and began curiously wandering around the room. It was huge in comparison to the Dojima home. It smelled clean, had that same flare of traditional Japanese decoration, but it was still strange, and way too big. 

“Thank you for bringing him.” She took a seat on the couch. “It took some convincing and a lot of logic twisting, but I was able to bring my husband around. We both agreed something this rare shouldn't be studied or turned over to any authorities. He's young and needs to live his own life.”

Yosuke looked to her, then to Yu, and climbed up onto his lap.

She turned knowing eyes to the young man and said, “You named him, didn't you.”

“...His name is Yosuke,” he stated, though did not see her next response coming. 

“Then he belongs to you. He always will. Even though he will live here, his true home is wherever you are. At least that's what the local myths say.” She leaned forward. “I understand your situation right now, and can relate. Believe me. I promise, my husband and I will give him the best life we can. We've both spent the past couple of days studying lore on animal demons, so we will help him learn to adapt. I'll try to teach him how to look Human.” She smiled at him. “Honestly, I'm glad he ran into that trash can. We may not be here if he hadn't.” 

“People won't ask questions?”

She shook her head lightly. “No one talks to us. No one even really knows us. We'll say our son transferred from the city, and that he had to stay there to finish out some courses for a college application that ended early.”

“It seems like you have it settled.” He stood, picking up the fox demon as he did and held him out to her. He opened his mouth to speak, faltered a moment, but gathered up his courage to do what he had to do. “He hates tofu, likes to play in water, and likes coffee, but don't give him any or you won't sleep. He loves to run. He's also afraid of thunderstorms, and gets bored easily. He knows how to make paper cranes now, so you might find those all over the house if he gets really bored. His favorite bento meal is noodles, rice, and curry chicken with vegetables -not that spicy, but he'll probably eat anything.”

She accepted the little demon, who whimpered at being handed over, and walked behind him as he grabbed his bag and slipped his shoes on at the door. 

Mrs. Hanamura spoke softly. “It's ok to come and visit him any time.”

He nodded once in thanks and even smiled a little. He reached out and scratched the little fox demons ears, which had flopped down in sadness. The look in those eyes nearly made him want to snatch the fox back and run home. “Bye, little guy. Take care.” 

He bowed deeply to Mrs. Hanamura, then turned and walked out of the house toward the girls still waiting on the sidewalk. 

Yosuke yipped softly wanting to know where he was going and why he wasn't going with him. He reached out with one hand, calling out a little more loudly. He was leaving him behind. How could he do that? How could he just walk away? Didn't he want him anymore? He whined, yipping sadly at the Human to turn around and come back, please come back. Whatever he'd done for Yu to think he wasn't worth keeping anymore, he was sorry. He'd never do it again. Yosuke fought his memory to recall everything he'd learned in Yasogami high, and what he'd heard spoken. People had been talking around him every day, and although he could understand them, he couldn’t mimic their words. It was frustrating when he tried to speak and was met with blank stares. He had to get Yu's attention before the teenager was too far away. He had to try. 

He squirmed in the woman's arms frantically until she let him go, and dashed out the front door. He stopped in the middle of the walk, took a deep breath, and formed new letters with his mouth and voice he never thought possible. He put in every ounce of power and concentration he possessed into the effort, and cried out at the top of his tiny lungs. 

“Yu! YU!”

Yu inhaled sharply and froze at the high pitched child's voice calling his name. Even Yukiko and Chie's mouths dropped open. No one was prepared for that. He turned around to find the demon running right at him, his tail straight out. 

“Yu!” Yosuke jumped as high as he could and was thankful when the other dropped his bag to catch him. He hugged him with all his strength, tears running down his face. 

Yu wrapped his arms around the fox demon. “That's your new home, now. It'll be ok.”

The little demon shook his head vigorously from side to side.

He knelt down. “You remember what my uncle said,” he began, trying to be as kind and convincing as possible without showing that he wanted to run from here and pretend this meeting with Mrs. Hanamura never happened. “The Hanamuras are nice. They'll take care of you.” He almost lost it when the other dried his eyes on his school uniform jacket. What Mrs. Hanamura had said about a bond forming between them was more than a fact about a mythical being. It was real. He felt it. It existed, though it was unseen. “I'll visit. It's not like this is across town. I live three streets down the hill that way.” He nodded behind him. “C-c'mon. No crying.”

The fox demon looked up and sniffled. “Yu.”

He stood. “Be strong.”

Yosuke's head bobbed up and down.

“You good, Yosuke?”

The little demon nodded again. 

Yu walked him back to where Mrs. Hanamura was waiting by the sidewalk. 

“Are you ok?” Her voice was soft. From her book-read knowledge, she knew how difficult and painful this separation must be for the two of them. 

He paused a moment to answer, but couldn't. All he could think to give her was a confirmation sound and a nod. He ruffled Yosuke's ears once more, then turned and walked away. 

Yosuke watched him leave until he was out of sight, and stretched his hand out toward him, but let himself be carried back into the house by Mrs. Hanamura. 

Yukiko and Chie moved with him back down the hill into town. “You gonna be ok?” Chie asked, concerned. She didn't want to think of how hard it would be to turn her dog over to the care of someone else.

“Yeah,” he breathed.

“I know what might help,” Yukiko's voice slid smoothly into the conversation. She wanted to heal this situation, but didn't know what to do or say, so she thought about how she'd felt when her bird flew away, and what had dulled the pain. “My mom bought some ice cream bars yesterday. We can go to the inn and have some there.” 

“Yeah, that's a great idea,” Chie agreed. “Whaddaya say?”

He wanted to go home and lock himself in his room to stare at the blank t.v all night for no reason. He wanted to be alone, but he knew when he got back to the house that Nanako would probably be a mess, which –in his current state—would make him even worse. If he could at least calm down enough, he'd be able to deal with her when he got home. “Sure,” he said. 

Yukiko smiled softly. “The inn is a little bit of a walk from here, but the fresh air will be good.”

Yu glanced back at the hill leading up the Hanamura residence, then forward as they reached the other road and turned right. He would be fine. The first stage of change was always the hardest to overcome. He just needed to wait it out. He thought of what might distract him. “What kind of ice cream?”

Yukiko's relief was definitely evident as she sighed and smiled. “Strawberry cheesecake flavored. It's my favorite, even though I hate the color pink.”

He listened to the two girls talk about their favorite ice creams and looked up at the sky. It would definitely rain tonight. 

“You know,” Chie began, “I heard something this morning about a weird thing called the Midnight Channel. One of the girls in class said that if you look into a t.v turned off at exactly midnight on a rainy night, you'll see your soul mate.”

“That's silly, even for you.” Yukiko laughed. 

And continued laughing. 

“Well, you don't have to laugh so hard about it,” Chie grumped. 

Yu smirked slightly as the two went on. 

Inaba.

City of endless rain.

But at least he wasn't alone anymore.


	5. Kizuna

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's revealed why the Hanamuras decided to accept the fox demon into their home. 3 days after Yu dropped him off, he is called over to the Hanamuras to calm down the fox demon, and begins to see there is more to the bond between them than just time spent, and a name given.

5th SCENT: KIZUNA

\----May 7th. Hanamura residence...----

The four touch-lights beneath the cabinets cast their feeble glow onto the two tired people within the modern kitchen. Normally, the regular ceiling fan lights would be on, but the clock on the counter read 1:25am. That much brightness would increase her headache. Sayaka Hanamura sat at the table with her head resting against her left palm. “It's been three days. He hasn't slept through the night once since he got here, and neither have we.” She sipped the steaming cup of coffee in front of her lazily, set it back down, and tried to worry the fatigue from her face. The bags under her eyes told their own tale of sleepless nights trying to comfort a young fox demon. “He barely speaks, he hardly eats, and the only time he's calm is when he's watching TV.” 

“Then we check the book again.” Yoshi Hanamura leaned against the counter with his own cup of extra strength brew. “Go online. Find a way help him adapt. He needs to learn that we are his caretakers now.”

“I've done everything it suggests-- even a few tricks from my own mother: hold him, sing to him, read him a story, give him warm milk, let him watch a movie, leave him alone to cry it out... There's just nothing much to go on about young animal demons.” She sighed. “He either curls up and cries, or stares out the window.” She pushed the thick, brown leather book across the table. 

“This will strengthen the boy.”

“Not like this.” She lifted her head to her equally tired husband.

“All young animals or kids go through separation pains. He'll get over it.” 

“He's not a normal child, Yoshi, or an animal. He's a fox demon, and we have no idea what to do.” Sayaka knew him well enough to know his tone was born from fatigue. He was a caring man, often stern, but he would never harm a child or an animal. That compassion was part of why she loved him. “We need to call him.”

“It's too late to be calling anyone. We can deal with this for one more night.” At this point, both of their nerves were frayed. 

“He's a mythical creature that once aided the Gods of Japan. Everything we know covers the later years. No one bothered to document their youth. We know Izanami and Izanagi had armies of animal demons obedient to them because they would give each one a name, but we know next to nothing about the specific details of that connection. He's been separated from his Bonded too soon, and it's causing him pain. For all we know, this could be slowly killing him.”

He moved to sit at the table in front of her. “You're being irrational. Sayaka, he's throwing a tantrum.”

“He's in pain.” Her eyes met those of her husband, unblinking, and serious. Strands of straight black hair slipped from their hastily coiled tie at the nape of her neck as she wove her fingers between his. “I may not be able to give you a child, but I can tell when one is suffering.” This was an incredibly sensitive subject that they hardly ever spoke of, though in this situation, she felt it necessary to lay this card on the table. She could never be a mother, but her instincts were still there. 

Yoshi held her small hand in his and brought it to his lips. He'd give her the mountains if she asked for them. They'd been trying to have a child, had even been tested, but discovered sadly that an illness in her teenage years had robbed her of that choice. He knew she felt guilty, though he'd assured her it wasn't her fault. He would always love her no matter what, yet a part of him understood that she would never feel adequate. He did everything in his power to prove otherwise. 

“If the connection goes both ways, I'll bet you a million yen that boy is going through the same thing.” Sayaka leaned back and lifted the cup of coffee to her lips. 

“It's nearly 2am. He's probably asleep. Tomorrow is Saturday. We can call him then.”

Thunder rumbled in the distance. They both heard a high pitched cry from upstairs. Sayaka got up and dug her cell phone out of her purse. “I'm calling him.”

Yoshi sighed, though he had to agree with his wife. Perhaps the demon was indeed too young for such a drastic change. They would find an alternative to make this easier on the fox-boy, although he still believed this ordeal would teach him strength of character. Yosuke needed to learn to trust them. 

She dialed the number and listened to the ring as another crash of thunder mixed with the heavy pounding of rain outside. 

* * * *  
Yu had been sitting on the couch in his room staring at the small television set. Lightning flashes lit up his room, reflecting periwinkle light in the glass. He rubbed at his eyes and leaned his head back. He was exhausted. The clock on the desk clicked over to 1:30am, and he groaned. Any decent sleep went the way of hope days ago. If he didn't sleep soon, he was going to start hallucinating—or so his knowledge of sleep deprivation dictated. He'd been subsisting on coffee and cat naps for three days. 

Pickles the stuffed frog toy leaned against the couch to his left. He stared at it, and it stared with its perpetual smile at something a thousand miles away. Slowly, he reached over to pick it up. Yosuke probably missed this, since he would curl up with it every night when it wasn't raining. He thought about the little fox demon and hoped he was doing all right during this storm. With the way Yosuke could sleep, he was probably dead to the world. He'd bring this to the Hanamuras tomorrow.

Something moved in his peripheral and set his heart racing. Maybe it was too late to avoid the hallucinations. The last time he'd been spooked by a shadow, he was a kid, and for the record, he was alone in the hotel room after watching a scary movie he was forbidden to see. The nightmare that followed it stayed with him for days. This sense was exactly like that, only it owned no source. The last thing he'd watched that night was a late night B-rated science fiction movie from America about sharks in a tornado. Japanese subtitles scrolled across the bottom of the screen. He understood enough English to get by, but calling it B-rated gave it too much credit. It wreaked of cheese, was badly written, and so horribly made on a seriously low budget that he had to finish watching it. According to the internet, it immediately gained a cult following. Humans tended to like the weirdest shit. 

He'd shut the T.V off and just lay awake staring at the ceiling. 

Day number three of hardly any rest or appetite left him stand-offish to his new friends, Yukiko and Chie. He'd even given the cold shoulder to a cute girl with brown pigtails at the local tofu shop, Marukyu, after school. His apology felt weak, though she'd accepted it with an invite to come watch her sing at Aiya's Karaoke night. He'd declined saying he needed to get some rest, but that he would go see her perform another time.

Sleep. What a joke. 

He stretched out on the couch, one leg dangling over the side, and closed his eyes in hopes that the storm would lull him into a dream. A flicker of lightning burned an image into his mind of a shapeless, massive shadow-like creature sneering down at him with yellow eyes over a threatening reach of a black clawed hand. 

His eyes snapped open. What the hell was that? 

His phone buzzed on the seat cushion next to him. Yu took a quick moment to calm his breath and picked up after two rings once he recognized the number. “Hello.”

“Yu? It's Mrs. Hanamura. I'm sorry to wake you.”

“It's ok. I was already up.” He stood, the frog still in hand, and walked downstairs.

“I hate to ask this of you so late at night, but, can you please come over?”

He slipped on his shoes and winter jacket and stuffed the frog under the zipper to keep it dry. “Of course. I'm on my way.” He hung up and pocketed the phone. By that time, he was already walking up the street toward the Hanamura residence. Somehow he already knew he needed to leave. 

* * * *  
A flash of lightning bathed the room in its wicked strobe. Yosuke dove beneath the covers of his bed. He sniffled, hugging his tail, and clamped his eyes shut in fear. It'll stop, he thought. It has to stop. He peeked out at the dark room, listening to the rain. The street light through his bedroom window cast dripping shadows against the far wall. His imagination merged them together into a blob with greedy, grasping hands reaching to take the life from his heart. 

Crack! Boom!

Yosuke screamed and jumped out of bed. He ran beneath the hall table. Another flare of light sent the shadows streaking toward him. Panicked, he rocketed down the stairs on all fours into the dark living room and dashed from the chairs to the couch. He froze in front of the T.V as another flash of lightning lit up his reflection in the large screen. The house was still scarily big, unfamiliar, and cold. He wanted Yu.  
Fear drove its nails through his tiny body, forcing him to curl up into a ball. He cried out, terrified and alone. This was a million times worse than the box. The nightmare he'd been enduring refused to leave him, even though he was awake. All he could think to do was scream, or he felt like he would be devoured alive by the shadows. 

A slight breeze picked up inside the house, fluttering anything light weight. Papers rustled as though someone had turned a fan on in the room.  
His wide eyes quivered in fear. Sayaka's worried voice blended with the background, though he could barely make out his name being called. The nightmare stole his willpower. 

\-----  
It started out simply enough. The verdant landscape was bathed in warm sunlight as he and others like him ran around in a field. It was the perfect place to play, roughhouse, and practice their skills with other neophyte animal demons. 

Then something turned the golden sunlight into a blood-red sky swirling with black smoke –as if the sky itself were scarred. He and the two he was with stared in confusion as a darkness grew on the distant horizon. He watched it drape over other demons –older, more powerful—and twist them into hideous monsters that snarled, gnashed teeth, licked the air with giant black tongues, sulked under hoods with chains around their bodies, or scream as they morphed into shadow-like forms. 

The fog swept over an older wolf demon –one of the mentors to the young demons—and transformed her into a Shadow. Wretched yellow eyes stared back behind a guttural growl. The darkness had turned a once caring demon into a monster. Nothing recognizable remained of their teacher.  
Yosuke watched in horror as the shadow mass snatched up a small raccoon demon in its jagged smokey-black hand. The demon squirmed and screamed as it tried to push itself free. The Shadow cracked its mouth open wide and held up its capture. The raccoon demon had barely learned how to use its power of Bufu. It tried to defend itself with Cold, but the shadow was hardly affected. It clamped its mouth over the raccoon demon, removed its empty hand, and snarled at the rest of the fleeing younglings. 

Yosuke was paralyzed. 

“Run!” He heard one of his friends –a cat demon—shout. Broken from his trance, he ran with the others as fast as he could. Chaos reigned behind them as more demons –young and old—were caught up in the tidal wave infection of the red stained sky. He ran as fast as his tiny legs could go. The Shadows continued to scoop up any demons they could find, and consume their energy. 

The cat demon cried out when she tripped over a sudden spear of earth. The ground had morphed beneath them into a broken street with dead grass peeking through the pavement cracks of a town he'd never seen before. He ran back to help her up, though she yelped in pain.  
“My foot!” Her ankle was twisted. She'd never be able to run from the Shadows. 

“I'll find someone who can use Dia.” It was a skill he was supposed to learn, but hadn't been given that knowledge yet. He looked around frantically, but saw only the last of their classmates. If they didn't move soon, they would be next. 

“I'll stop it!” The dog demon, his other friend, howled at the Shadow chasing them down and charged. 

“No! Wait!” He yelled to his friend. 

The dog demon sent a plum of fire at the monster –a skill he had recently learned-- though it caught him by the foot in mid air and tossed him aside. He yelped in pain as he rolled across the ground. Agi didn't affect it at all. 

Yosuke stood between the cat demon and the advancing enemy, his arms stretched out to the sides, and his heart pounding.  
“Go,” she mewed. “It'll eat you, too!”

“I'm not leaving, so shut up!” Although he wanted to run as fast as possible, nothing could make him leave her behind. They were friends. He had to protect her somehow and keep this thing from eating the three of them like it did the raccoon demon. Focusing on the will to keep his friends safe, he tried to push past the fear. 

A breeze picked up around them. The wind changed to a subtle shade of green as it built up energy. He could feel it. Panicking, he put every spec of power into the wind attack and released it at the Shadow. 

The monster slid backward, roared in rage, and reached for the injured dog demon –the nearest one—to restore its strength.  
Yosuke dropped to the ground next to the cat demon, exhausted. He'd done everything he could, used up his energy, and it still wasn't enough. He and his friends were going to be devoured. He watched the Shadow lift the dog demon again to its mouth when a brilliant spear of light slammed into it. It dropped its prey. The dog demon's fur had turned completely black from its original rich chocolate-brown. 

Yosuke saw the Shadow lunge at them through blurry eyes, saw the light pierce it again as someone new –another giant— charged the monster, and passed out.

\------  
Another crash of thunder brought that nightmare back to life. He squeezed his eyes shut and screamed the only name he knew how to say. Pillows flopped over onto the floor from the couch as the breeze inside the house picked up. 

Yu raised his hand to knock on the door, but Mrs. Hanamura opened it before he'd had a chance. 

She'd watched him walk up without an umbrella. “Come in, please. I'm sorry to call you so late, but I didn't know what else to do. I can't get him to calm down.” Her frown deepened at his pale complexion, and the heavy bags gathered under his eyes. “You don't look well. Are you all right?” 

“I haven't been sleeping much.” He'd never show it, but adrenaline pulsed through his veins as though he were being hunted. He removed his shoes and hung the jacket on the hooks reserved for guests. 

The frog plushie caught her attention. “A frog?”

“It's his. I needed to bring it over anyway.” He handed it to her, though part of him didn't want to let it go. The feeling was completely illogical.

She accepted. “I'll put it in his room.” The breeze brushed at her hair. She quickly checked the thermostat, though it was set to a comfortable temperature. “That's odd. The fan isn't on at all.” She crossed her arms. “This is the worst he's ever been. It's like he's trapped in a nightmare.”

Yu could tell she was deeply hurt at being powerless to do anything for the young demon. She'd adopted him, swore to raise him and –in essence—become his mother, but she was clearly desperate. He wished he'd been her first option instead of her last, but he understood her need to teach the fox demon to trust her and her husband. They were his family, now. 

The little demon's cries cut through him like a razor. He walked through the gathering breeze into the living room. It swirled around him on a faint greenish hue in a hurricane pattern with the shivering ball of fox demon at its eye. He passed his hand through it, watching the color drift over his skin like mist. It was gaining in strength enough to catch up loosened papers and send them around the room. He glanced back to Mrs. Hanamura, wondering why she didn't notice this. 

Sayaka nodded once for him to continue. She snatched up the papers that swirled near her. Though she felt the wind, she was unable to see the color of the power within it. 

He sat cross-legged on the floor, reached out, and rested his hand on the little fox demon's head.

Something warm pressed lightly between his ears. Yosuke used every ounce of strength he possessed to open his eyes. He saw bare feet, familiar pajamas, and welcoming silver eyes looking down at him beneath a wet mop of straight silver hair. The sense of home that accompanied the sight had already started to push at the fear paralyzing his limbs. He shut his eyes again. How could he believe this was real and not part of the horror? This nightmare was making him see things. It was torturing him. He didn't want to be alone anymore. He tried to say Yu's name within a sob and curled up more tightly into his tail when another flash of lightning shot through the house on the back of a thunderclap. 

The power went out.

Yosuke snapped. 

A massive gust of wind picked up heavily at his sudden cry, blowing the pillows off the couch and tearing away anything lose to fly around the room. 

Yu tucked both hands beneath him gently and lifted him into his lap. The little fox demon's hands gripped tiny fistfuls of his shirt tightly.  
Real or not, Yosuke opened his senses completely to the presence and smell of the one who'd saved him. He let the warmth of the other shield him from the storm's shadows, and cried.

He'd seen Yosuke freak out to a storm before, but it was nothing like this. This was more a reaction from someone who'd experienced a traumatic event. He wondered what happened, and wished he could ask, but knew any explanation he received would be given in the demon's native language. 

Yu breathed deeply despite the torrent of green wind surrounding him, trying to remain calm so the other would pick up that vibe from him. It seemed to be working. The wind steadily died down. Gradually, the demon's trembling eased, and his sobs quieted even as the storm continued to rage outside. 

Inside the house, all was still.

Exhausted, he laid back so the other was on his chest, and rested his right hand over him as papers fluttered to the floor. Barely 15” tall from ears to feet, his hand covered most of the small fox demon's curled up body. Fatigue hammered itself into his head, and he closed his eyes to a heavy sigh of relief. He relaxed instantly. 

Yosuke sniffled as the terror retreated and the nightmare faded away. He draped his tail over Yu's arm, turned so his ear was against his chest, and held on to the blanket of hand. The demands of the storm outside stayed away. He focused on the steady rhythm of Yu's heartbeat and buried his face in the fabric of his shirt. He was here, he was real. This wasn't wishful thinking or a dream. Finally, he felt safe. The nightmare's affects disappeared into the steady rise and fall of his Human's breathing. He wrapped himself in its comfort and was soon fast asleep.

Yu was already unconscious by this point. After nights of tossing and turning, and unexplainable vibes of discord, he finally felt like he could exhale. 

Sayaka and Yoshi Hanamura had stayed to the side during the wordless interaction. She glanced to her husband, who nodded, and moved upstairs to finally get a full nights rest. She leaned against the threshold and watched the children sleep soundly for a few moments. 

No one had ever written of the details between an animal demon and their Bonded, most likely because no one knew. The text only referenced how important that bond was for the God and their animal demons in regards to control and ownership –like the creatures of legend were pets, loyal due to accepting their name. 

Tonight, she had witnessed a different, highly important aspect of that bond that the authors never touched on: it wasn't just the fox demon who was affected by it. It affected the one who named him as well. The connection between them ran far deeper than she'd thought, and she was positive neither of them knew to what extent. Starting tomorrow, she would include Yu on everything, and she would document everything. 

Sayaka draped a blanket over the sleeping duo for warmth. She gently brushed her hand over the fox's ears, and the boy's hair before heading upstairs to leave them alone on the living room floor. 

That was the first time both Human and Animal Demon had slept peacefully in three days. 

* * * *  
\----That morning...----

A shaft of sunlight spilled across the floor. Yu awoke to the cheerful chirping of birdsong within the light of a fresh day. He blinked the room into focus and worked to recall where he was. Man, what a night. Though he was rested, he still felt like someone had thrown him against the wall. His right hand had remained over the fox boy all night, who continued to breathe softly in sleep. Carefully, he slid his hand out from under the tail, and stretched his arms over his head. 

Yosuke yawned awake on his chest, stretched, and sat up. 

Yu stared up at him for a moment, pinned to the floor. “Morning.”

The fox demon yipped in response and rolled onto the carpet. He scampered into the kitchen.

Yu shut his eyes to snatch another moment of rest when he felt his stomach growl. That was probably what awakened him and the fox demon to being with. He stood, stretched, and shuffled into the kitchen. 

Mrs. Hanamura greeted him with a steaming cup of coffee. “Ah. The dead have arisen.”

“That's probably more true than it should be. Thanks.” He sat at the table and sipped from the warm cup. “I should get home before my uncle wakes up and--”

“It's noon.” Sayaka smiled at his shock –the most expression she'd ever seen him give. “It's ok. I called him and said you were helping me with a project. You two slept like a pile of rocks. I didn't have the heart to wake you.”

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude.”

“We called you. You saved our sanity. My husband and I would have gone nuts with one more night of that.” She looked to the fox demon, who sat on the table with a small plate and tried to eat his waffle with a shrimp fork. Due to his size, that was the smallest utensil she could give him. It was the first time she'd seen him actively try.

Yu yawned.

“You look much better. The rest did you some good.”

“Yeah,” he sipped the coffee. “First time in three days. It's like I was a zombie the whole time.” He had to admit, he really did feel like his battery was back up to 100%.

“Then I was right. You're affected by the link between you as well. Apparently,” she set a plate of waffles in front of him, and some toast, “you needed him as much as he needed you.”

Yu watched the small demon balance a piece of syrup-free waffle on his nose, toss it into the air, and eat it happily, as if last nights horror never occurred. “He went through something terrible. I just wish he could tell me what happened.”

She smiled warmly. “Maybe when he learns how to talk, he will.”

Yosuke looked between the two, and held out the last piece of his waffle. “Yu. Waffle. Awesome!”

The other didn't know how to respond. “Uh... I have my own. But thanks.”

Yosuke shrugged and shoved the rest of it into his mouth.

“He's never spoken before.” Sayaka tipped the cup to her lips. She got up when the waffle maker beeped. “You may get your wish sooner than you think.” She set the waffle on her own plate and cut up a slice to chew. “I'll talk to your uncle today. From what I've observed so far, both my husband and I agree that it's not safe for you two to be separated yet.”

Yu paused in a sip of coffee.

“In my research, I've noticed one word that continuously came up regarding the deity who named them. They were always referred to as a 'Bonded' – the title for the one the animal demon's soul was tied to. The books say it's so others would know that demon belonged to another god or goddess, commands could be issued more easily, and the animal demon could gain power when attacking.” She held his gaze, then smiled at the tiny fox-boy completely ignoring them. “You are his Bonded. Your soul is tied to his. My guess is that the bond between you is still too new. Together, you're fine. But, being unwillingly separated harms you both.”

Yu listened, absorbing the information. “That's why I couldn't sleep?”

She nodded. “He wouldn't sleep, either. He hardly ate a thing, he moped around, he cried when he wasn't distracted by the television, he was angry, and his ears were flat. I could tell he was physically in pain on top of that. The only word he said...was your name. It was torture to be away from you. When you came over last night, that's when I clearly understood just how much he needed you. Not all of it will apply, but, does any of this sound familiar?”

He nodded, taking a sip of the coffee.

“Take him home. Bring him here a little at a time until he's acclimated to this house, then when you two are ready, this will become his new home.”

He blinked at her, then looked to the fox-boy's head bobbing up and down as he tried to lick the syrup off the plate. Soul-bound to a yokai, and damaged if unwillingly separated. He could hardly believe this was happening, and yet, he wasn't that shocked. In fact, he felt a wave of warm relief that he could bring the fox back with him. He reached over and tapped his finger lightly on the fox-boy's head.

Yosuke looked up curiously, and smiled. His tail wagged in happiness. “Yu?” 

“Say something,” he asked softly. 

Yosuke pointed at the half of a waffle still taking up real estate on the other's plate. “Yu?” 

Yu recognized the 'are you going to eat that' tone, and cut it with the side of his fork. He handed it over and watched the tiny fox yokai dig in. 

He would definitely have to call Yukiko and Chie for back up on this one. They had a lot of work ahead of them.


	6. Two Months Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two months have passed since Yu began training the fox demon on how to behave like a Human.   
> Yosuke eventually took on the mantle of 'son' to Sayaka and Yoshi Hanamura, and has a part time job in his foster family's store, Junes. Before his first day of school, he meets a strange boy that gives him the creeps. His first day of school, he's already being shunned by the students, but his day improves when he sees Yu for the first time in a week. The day doesn't go as well as he planned.

6th SCENT: TWO MONTHS LATER

\----July 3th. Sunday. Two months later...----

Junes would be closing in an hour. 

Yosuke couldn't wait to toss in his apron and run home. The most important day of his life in the small town of Inaba would begin at 6am tomorrow morning. 

His first day attending Yasogami High School as a real student.

If he could show his tail in public, it would be wagging with anticipation. He’d only ever been this existed once before—when he’d finally been accepted and given a name. Even though he'd been bored out of his mind the last time he was at the school, he’d been stuck in a cramped school bag with nothing to do but listen to King Moron rant on forever, read Yu’s homework, draw on Yu’s homework, and stare at Yukiko. It had to be a different experience this time as one of their peers, and because of his parents’ back story to the administration; he would start his school social life as a second year student. 

The bright catchy Junes jingle played over the intercom system for the millionth time. Commercials for the chain store interrupted his favorite shows, and squeezed in between songs on the local radio station. After just four days of working here where it played once every thirty minutes, he was sick of it. 

He checked his phone numerous times during the last hour, and double checked all of the alarm clocks in the electronics department. The friendly thirty-minute warning played over the intercom system. He smiled at his mother's voice giving the customers enough time to gather up their final purchases and head to the check-out lines. Nearly everyone had vacated this area, leaving him alone near the televisions.

He tapped his foot impatiently. “C'mon, clock,” he muttered to his phone. “Hurry it up.”

Today was only his fourth day working as an employee, but it already felt like he'd spent a century in this store, and he was close to being done with it. It was his father's idea to give him a shift with the intent of teaching him social interactions with the citizens of Inaba. As predicted, Yosuke learned more than he'd expected about Inaba, especially the townsfolks’ feelings toward his new family. Although it was understood that the Junes chain built their corporate headquarters in Tokyo, the townspeople still blamed his parents for Junes stealing business from the local mom-and-pop stores. Yosuke had come to his parents’ defense on more than one occasion today, going as far as to yell at an elderly woman that did not hold back her true feelings. She'd told him right to his face that he should be ashamed of being the son of people who would destroy the livelihoods of life-long residents, that the Hanamuras were heartless corporate slaves, and that the death of this town would be on their shoulders—and by proxy, his shoulders. Yosuke could feel his hold over his power slipping as his anger grew. He had to escape to the men's room to calm down. 

His parents had told him not to get too upset, or he might lose control and reveal his true nature in public –namely his ears and tail. Before he'd even learned how to change, it was decided that the town wasn't ready to know that Yosuke Hanamura was a fox demon. 

Ten minutes left. 

Movement to the left caught his attention. He moved through the isles to the video game section, following the person. One of his responsibilities was to make sure everyone left the department before the store closed. After the 30 minute warning, that responsibility went into affect. 

The boy crouched down in front of a rack of new arrival games to paw through them. 

“S'cuse me. The store is closing soon. Can you plea--” He froze when the other turned his head toward him. Yosuke’s train of thought exploded completely as the other stared through him with solid black eyes above a blank expression. He looked to be the same age, but the vibe the other boy put out was powerful enough to make Yosuke slide his foot back. He didn't want to be anywhere near this kid. It felt as though whatever plagued him was contagious. He assured himself of the ridiculous nature of that thought. The guy was just creepy as hell. That's it. 

The boy didn't blink once, even when he stood, holding the game he'd selected. He sniffed the air once, and smiled. 

It was like a shark had just invited him to be dinner.

“Th-that's in the wrong spot. It's not on sale,” Yosuke tried to crush the urge to run. 

“I know,” the mysterious boy slurred, as though he hadn't quite picked up the full ability to form solid words. “You're like me.” He stepped forward. “I can see it.”

Yosuke took a tentative step back. “Wh-What?”

The boy held up the game with cover art of a serious man wielding a katana in front of a group of people –his companions-- below a title in yellow script reading, 'Jumper 2.' “It's like that red world.”

“Yeah...O-Ok...” Yosuke moved aside to let the insanely strange boy pass with as much space as possible in the suddenly slim isle. They stared at each other as he did so, though with each slow second, the uncomfortable feeling grew. Hopefully, he would never run into that kid again. 

The boy left the department. Only when he was out of sight did Yosuke heave a sigh of relief. “Dude, creepy level eleven.” Yet there was something about him that seemed familiar, almost like he knew him –which was completely impossible. He'd only been living in Inaba for little over two months with exposure to its people for less than that. There hadn't been any time to meet anyone beyond Yu Narukami, his cousin Nanako Dojima, Chie Satonaka, and Yukiko Amagi. 

And then there was Saki Konishi, the beauty with the hair and smile of a goddess. She worked in the women's department –well, pretty much anywhere she was needed. Saki was the first person he'd met outside his friends and family to treat him like a living being. She laughed at his bad jokes, and told him of her similar issue working at Junes, because her father owned a local liquor store. She'd said it was to help make ends meet for the family, but the town only saw her as a traitor. For once, she was happy that someone understood. 

He let her memory, and the memory of his first friend drown the sense of apprehension and danger. It had been one week since he'd last seen Yu –a lifetime in his perception-- and he was excited at the prospect of meeting up with the other at school. It was also his mission to find out why the person who saved his life suddenly went M.I. A. 

The notification that the store was now closed was his savior. He ran to the back, happily discarded his tan and red apron into his given locker, slipped on his favorite headphones, and bolted out to the loading dock to avoid the weird kid at the check-out lines. He'd have to take the back way home by the shrine, but it was better than running into Creepy McCreeperson out there. Music blared in his ears as he leaped from the concrete surface to the pavement, landing too far out, and too smoothly for a normal man. He hadn’t noticed the confusion of the two dock loaders who stared on in stunned silence. 

It only took viewing his first television show the second day into living at his new home for him to become hooked on media. His parents discovered quickly that he was an entertainment junkie. So, they let him watch movies, listen to music, and offered up books. He read two of them in obedience to his parents’ will wanting him to learn how to read, though quickly abandoned the pile for the more instant gratification of television and the internet. He soaked up everything he saw and read like a sponge. 

Yosuke slowed to a quick walk as he passed the steps of the Tatsuhime Shrine and looked up. He remembered the stormy night that changed his life, but unlike every other time he stopped here, he wasn’t upset. This time, he smiled. He would see the one who liberated him from that cardboard cell tomorrow. He continued on and wished himself luck in sleeping at all tonight. 

What he failed to notice was a small figure next to a tree watching him run up the street. It moved silently back into the bushes, rustling the leaves, and disappeared.

* * * *  
\----July 4th. Monday. First Day of School... ----

His phone alarm buzzed loudly, forcing him out of sleep. Thankfully, it had dragged him away from a nightmare –a reoccurring one that usually had him awake in the middle of the night. Face buried in a pillow, he attempted to turn off his phone by feel alone, though simply succeeded in knocking it to the floor. He grumbled, reached down for it, and fell out of bed in a pile of blankets. Yosuke groaned and blew the white fur from the end of his tail out of his face and rolled over. The time on his phone said 6:30am when he was finally able thumb the alarm off. His eyes widened. Today was officially his first day of school.

Awake, he put on his crisp new school uniform, having to hide his tail easily through transformation, and buttoned the black jacket all the way up. The closed collar clasp felt like someone was trying to choke him to death. He undid the hooks and top button, and breathed in relief.

“Yosuke!” His mom called up the stairs. “You’re going to be late!”

She back stepped out of the way just in time to see him fly down the stairs, and held out a wrapped up bento box. “Your lunch.” She kissed him on the cheek. “Have fun, dear. Remember we are a call away until 5pm if you need us at all. And Stay. In. Control.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” He put his headphones around his neck and took off out the door in a run. 

“Our train leaves at six!” She called out to her fleeing adopted son with a smile. He was so eager to learn, but became bored quickly. School was going to be an interesting adventure. Thankfully, Yu Narukami would be there to keep him in check. “It’s the little things you’re grateful for,” she sighed to herself, and went back inside to pack for their trip into the city. 

They’ll be back Monday night. That left today, Friday, the weekend, and all of Monday parent-free. Right now, he wasn’t focused on that –as cool as it would be to have the place to himself. 

He jogged up the street to catch up with a group of students. “Hey,” he grinned. 

The three guys just looked at each other, then to him as though he were made of insects, and quickened their pace. “Right. I’ll just… ya know, stay back here.” So what if he failed with them? The school was filled with people. Surely they wouldn’t all give him the same derisive dirty glare. 

He tried to walk with four more groups of students. When the last group cut a hasty retreat through the park after saying, “It’s that Hanamura kid,” and turned their backs on him, he stopped trying. Instead, he just walked. He only said hello to one other student –a short boy wearing a navy blue hat over dark blue hair—and felt his spirits lift a little when he returned the greeting. The scent that drifted to him on the breeze sparked a vivid memory of the box. Once again, the sense of familiarity followed, though it was a relief and not even close to the weird level of that freaky gamer kid at Junes yesterday. 

Yosuke paused at the gate to the school and looked up at the three storied building. It’s stone was the shade of ivory, and the windows reflected the morning sunlight into the trees along the campus. He exhaled heavily as his heart started to race. The last time he was here, he was kept secret in a school bag able to see this world through a slim margin of space. Now it was wide open, and he was walking right into the middle of it. 

He smiled when a blond-haired girl in a green jacket walked by talking to a very familiar girl in a red sweater. “Yukiko! Chie!” He hurried through the gate to catch up to them as they walked into the main building.

“Huh?” Chie turned around with her friend and faced the tall new kid running up to them. “Do we know you?”

“What? Yeah, duh. It’s me. Yosuke.” He leaned forward in a whisper. “The…” and held both of his hands at the top of his head, fists closed.  
Chie’s eyes widened. “Yosuke? What… But… You’re…”

“I know, right? It’s pretty cool, huh. My mom found directions for a transformation skill two weeks ago. So, I can now be in class with you guys.” He draped his arms over their shoulders. “Imagine how sweet this year is going to be! The lunches, the classes, the rooftop, recess, study sessions…It’ll be great!” He grinned broadly at the two.

Yukiko tilted her head to the side slightly and looked him up and down. The last time either of them had seen him was just about two weeks ago when they'd all gone to the Samegawa flood plane to relax. At that time, he was still barely tall enough to reach her knee, and he'd been covered in mud. “You were cuter when you were little.”

His shoulders slumped, deflated. “Wow. Tell me what you really think.”

Chie smirked in a tomboyish way that Yosuke found to be a little cute –though he’d never admit to that. “We didn't even recognize you.” She jabbed a finger at his chest. “But try that little trick with my skirt again and I’ll galactic punt your skinny ass over the wall.”

“You wear bicycle shorts. What are you afraid o—Oomph!” 

Chie folded her arms, leaving him to hold his stomach where her foot planted itself. “Welcome to Yasogami High, Yosuke Hanamura.”

Wheeze...

“Chie, he’s still new to this place. Go easy on him for a little bit.” Yukiko placed a hand on his shoulder caringly.

He smiled up at her. “I’m good now, thanks to--” Something on the air snared his focus completely. It was highly familiar, strong, and very, very welcoming. He looked around, not seeing its source, but knew it was getting closer. It wasn’t up the stairs to his right, or behind him, or on any of the other floors. But it was nearby. 

“What’s up with him?” Chie asked. He had the look of a chocolate addict allowed into the private select store rooms of a confectioner's secret stash.

He stared at the open doors to the courtyard in front of the school, past the courtyard, the students in it, and the gate to one person crossing the threshold onto school grounds. He grinned. Yosuke sprinted down the hall to the door, jumped the steps to the walk in front of the building, and ran full tilt past students directly for the individual. “YU!”

Yu’s silver eyes widened as the teenager barreled toward him at ramming speed. His right hand snapped up, palm out. “Stop!”

Yosuke skid to a halt in a cloud of dirt around his white shoes. “Yu! Haha!” He hugged the other tightly. “Yu!Yu!Yu!Ohmygod! Holycrap,I’msohappytoseeyou,youdon'tevenknow! Whathappened? Whydidn’tyoucomevisitme? It’sbeenawholeweek! Youweregoneforever! Imissedyou! I’msohappytoseeyou!”

Yu just took it like a man. “Yosuke. Good to see you, too.”

He backed up, not caring that the display of joy had drawn a small crowd of judgmental stares. “Dude! Where'd you go?”

“It’s complicated.” He looked the other up and down. “Your ears and tail…”

“Hidden.” 

“No they’re not.”

“If they weren’t, the crowd would be a lot bigger than this.” Yosuke thumbed to the staring students. 

Yu glanced around. Sure enough, the others were filtering into the school talking among themselves, probably about the unusual, embarrassing antics between the two transfer students, but other than that, they ignored the two 2nd years. He blinked repeatedly, and the others attributes faded away.

The two walked into the school and up the stairs to the second floor. “I’m in 2-2. What are you in?”

“2-2.” Yu stated. 

“Awesome! This is going to be the best day ever!” 

 

* * * *  
\----Mr. Morooka’s class. 2-2...----

“This is the worst day ever.” Yosuke’s head thunked against his desk behind Yu, arm over his head, pencil dangling from his fingers. He would rather watch flies die. 

His friend leaned back slightly. “That introduction was pretty brutal. Worse than mine.”

“I almost forgot my back story. Can I go home yet? Just kill me now.”

“I hear talking!” Mr. Marooka bellowed. “Any of you little shits want to 'fess up?”

Yosuke’s head shot up from the desk, wide eyed, and scared. After the verbal evisceration he received courtesy of King Moron’s Famous Bag of Rants, he didn’t want to even be seen in public right now. He was about to defend himself when Yu raised his hand.

“It was me. I’m sorry.”

Yukiko and Chie looked to each other, and suddenly raised their hands as well. Yosuke blinked at the three of them. 

“Us, too.”Chie said.

“We apologize.”

What was going on here?

Morooka smirked with wicked sin. “Well, the rest of the class can thank your sorry butts for a pop quiz tomorrow. If you feel like talking, then you brainiacs should have no problem with the test.”

The class let out a collective groan and shot accusatory dagger-glares at the three instigating culprits of their future academic torture. 

Yosuke sank down in his chair wishing he could transform into his native 15” small form and hide in his school bag. This class was officially made of Suck.

* * * *  
\----Lunch. Rooftop...----

The four of them sat on the cement benches with their respective lunches, each student bearing a sour expression. It was a clear, breezy day, though the wind brought little comfort. 

“A test after my first day? Oh man,” Yosuke flopped backward in a whine. 

“Eh, don't worry about it,” Chie slurped up slices of meat from her lunch: a beef bento. “It's not like he hasn't done this before over less. Besides. It's your first day of school, ever. Spending it in detention would suck.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll help you study,” Yukiko ate her lunch with more grace than anyone else. 

After watching her, he'd come to realize this was just her nature; beautiful, graceful, and poised. 

Yosuke finished off the box and set it down. “There's something I gotta know. Why didn't anyone come see me for a week?”

Chie shoved food into her mouth to keep from answering, while Yukiko just looked to Yu to take this one.

Yu picked up a cluster of fried rice with his chopsticks. “It wasn't our idea.” He ate the food and set the utensils down. “Mrs. Hanamura called after the third week and asked me to stay away, and to tell anyone else who knew you to do the same.” 

“My mom? Why would she do that?”

Yu's voice remained calm, and it usually did. “She said you needed to focus on adapting into society. I argued against her methodology, but she was adamant. I had no choice but to concede.”

Chie set down her empty box and stretched her arms over her head. “Yeah. He was even more silent and stoic than usual. It was kind of unsettling. He hardly said two words.”

“He was miserable.” Yukiko studied the taller boy closely. “Although, his 'miserable' face, and his 'happy' face look a lot alike,” she mused. 

Yosuke's grip tightened around the chopsticks. The others had no idea what kind of pain that time alone had inflicted on him. Sure, he could now hide among the masses as a regular person, read, write, and complete basic math, but he'd felt abandoned the entire time. His new friends had given him everything, and then dropped off the face of Inaba for a week. It may not be a big deal to them, but he hadn't been here long enough to compare that time with anything else. He thought he'd frightened them away just by being himself. “Then do me one favor.” He looked up to each of them. “Give me an explanation if you do that again.”

They all smiled, even Yu. “Deal.” 

The atmosphere lightened after that. 

“Why are you starting school so late?” Chie asked. “Summer break is in two weeks.”

Yosuke shrugged. “My parents wanted me registered before then for some reason.”

“I have a question,” Yu looked to the two girls. “He's been in school all day, and no one's noticed the obvious points that make him a fox demon. I know I haven't slept much lately, but tell me I'm not hallucinating.”

Yukiko pursed her lips as she studied their friend, then shook her head. “There's nothing to see. He looks completely normal. Goofy, but normal.”

Yosuke chowed down the rest of his food. “Yeah, I told you that already.” He paused. “Hey, what do you mean 'goofy?'”  
“That doesn't explain why I can see his ears and tail.”

“Maybe it does,” Yukiko tapped on her phone and pulled up a photo. She handed it over to Yu, who pulled his fingers across it to enlarge the image. “I took this picture from the book I loaned you.”

He swiped the image up to read. “I see. That does make sense.” He handed the phone back to its owner. 

Yosuke and Chie both regarded him with curiosity. Chie began. “What makes sense?”

“It said the one who names an animal demon can always see its true self even if they change.”

“Weird.” Yosuke said.

Chie leaned back on her hands. “I really need to read that book.” 

They all finished their lunches, talked, and when the bell rang, went back to class.


	7. 7th Scent: Myonaka T.V.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fox demon faces someone from his past, and finds out about a unique aspect to the bond between himself and his Human. They have a talk that night about the Midnight Channel, and both agree to watch it, but are not prepared for what appears within the red static; not just the figure on the screen, but the scene behind them.

7th SCENT: MYONAKA T.V.

\---After school like they planned...----

The four of them met up again at the gate after school for the promised study session at Junes. He wasn't working there today, so Yosuke could enjoy a beef stick and soda, and maybe catch sight of Saki Konishi if she was working the late shift. Seeing her always made the day shine brighter, even if it was raining. 

Occasionally, the conversation drifted into a zone he was comfortable with, and he'd add his own comments here and there, but mostly he just listened as they walked. 

A subtle motion in the trees to the side of the road caught in his peripheral. His pace slowed, though the others continued on, and he sniffed the air. The wind carried a scent he recognized, though was unable to put an identity to it. He exhaled when that short boy from this morning strode into view. 

“Dude, you scared me,” he chuckled. “That was kinda like a little horror movie thing you did just then with the tree and the sudden appearance out of nowhere.”

The boy in the blue hat simply stepped forward, gradually pushing the other back toward a slide-wall. “You slipped up when that third year walked by you in the food court yesterday.”

“Wh-what?”

“You'd better pray no one else caught that.” 

“Now you're creeping me out.” He bumped up against the wall. He was trapped.

Naoto Shirogane stared him down for a moment, looking into his eyes, then leaned back slightly. “You really don't remember, do you.”

“Remember what?” He raised his hand defensively to push her back. “Look, just ease up? Don't make me hurt you.”

She snorted. “Right. You'd never hurt me. You protected me.”

“When have I ever done that? We've never met before!”

“When the shadow attacked me. I was hurt and you tried to fight it off with... a wind skill, I believe, though it's hard to recall. It was right before we were taken.”

“Fought what? Taken where? Dude, you're on a train to crazy town, and you're not taking me with you, so screw this.”

She slammed her hand against the wall to block him when he tried to walk away. “What do you remember of the Red World?”

He paused. Those were just dreams. How could she possibly know about his one reoccurring nightmare? “The hell are you talking about?”

She stepped forward, further taking away his personal space as her insistence spiked. She didn't have time for games. Her tone of voice changed, and it felt like their conversation became more in depth, more clear, and more natural. “The place where the sky swirled with black and red ink, and a fog consumed everything and everyone.”

“You were dropped on your head as a baby, weren't you--”

“There were shadow-like creatures and monsters howling in the distance with piercing yellow eyes--”

“--You're crazy--”

“--and only one sense radiated from them: The desire to eat you.”

“You're out of your mi--!”

“Yosuke! What do you remember about the box?!” She was in his face, yelling for the first time.

“What box?!”

“Ugh, you idiot! Stop playing dumb with me. You're a fox demon.”

Yosuke stared at her in disbelief. He licked his lips, taking a risk. “...How do you know about that?”

“Because I was in that box with you. We came here together.” 

He was speechless. 

She smirked. “So,” she backed up. “At least you remember that.”

A long moment of silence lingered between them. She glanced to her feet, then to his face, reached up, and slipped the hat from her head.

His eyes widened when it revealed two dark blue cat-like ears. “You're...the other one. You're the cat.” Memories of that event flashed through his mind like cut film from a silent movie. It was in pieces, but the cat demon that spoke to him in the box while he was fighting severe fatigue was definitely her. There was no mistaking her smell. He smiled. “That was you at school today. Haha!” He bounced in a tight circle. “I knew I wasn't alone. I knew someone else should have been there at the Shrine with me. I could feel it, but I couldn't remember. But... Why are you dressed like a boy?” 

“It's a long story. Whatever that man did tried to take my memory, too, but I fought it. I refused to forget. I bet you also didn't notice we haven't been speaking in a normal language for most of this conversation, either.”

Yosuke realized she was right. He'd been so riled up, he didn't recognize when they had switched from using the common speech of Inaba to the sounds, emotions, and words of the first language he ever learned. 

“You need to work on control.” She'd slid into the spoken language easily and put her hat back on. 

“That's what my parents said,” he switched to match her.

“Have you reverted back to your true form since you changed?”

He exhaled. “No.”

“How long?”

“About two weeks. I have to fit in here, so I'm not allowed. What about you?”

“My parents encourage me to change at will. Your Bonded should let you be who you are.”

“My Bonded? No, that doesn't sound kinky at all.”

She rolled her eyes. “You're an imbecile. It's the title for the one who named you. Do you know nothing?”

He opened his mouth to answer when another voice cut into the conversation. “Hey,” Yu walked up to the two, keeping his tone friendly. “We're going to have to pay for the food if we get there last.”

He looked to the other and nodded. “Ah, that's right. We were just talking.”

Naoto's sharp eyes flicked from one to the other. The air between the Human and the Fox Demon hummed with a similar comfort she felt between herself and her mother, Mrs. Shirogane, though it was stronger. “I see.” She nodded knowingly to the 2nd year. “Excuse me?”

Yu shifted his attention to the short first year student. 

“Did you name him?”

“And, look at the time!” Yosuke tried to shove Yu down the sidewalk. “We should go study now before it gets too late.” He laughed nervously.

His friend deftly moved out of the way, causing Yosuke to stumble forward. He regarded the student calmly. “If you mean stupid nicknames, I have plenty.”

Naoto smiled. “Nevermind. Yosuke. I will talk to you tonight. Your house. Be home.” And with that, she turned and walked back down into the shopping district.

Yu arched an eyebrow curiously. Only one other person had asked him that question before, so the fact that another had done the same unnerved him. “Well. That happened.”

Yosuke hesitated. He trusted Yu with his life, but wondered if the other demon would want her secret shared. He bit his lip, and hung his head. “Crap, I didn't get a name.”

They walked up the road. Yu remained silent the whole time, though he still wanted an answer.

Yosuke rubbed his palms against the inside of his jacket pockets. “Dude, cut it out.”

“Cut what out?”

“That thing you're doing. Knock it off.”

“I'm not doing anything.”

“Exactly! You want me to tell you what that other kid and I talked about, but I can't lie to you.” He grumbled.

“You were going to lie to me?”

“Yes. No.” He sighed. “I wasn't going to answer your question at all, but you keep doing that thing.”

“Again; not doing anything.” 

“Yeah, so stop it.” Yosuke frowned and glared at the grass along the side of the road. 

A wicked thought crossed Yu's mind. Apparently his friend could sense when he wanted an answer, though he wasn't going to press the issue. He hadn't bothered with seriously applying any of the knowledge he'd learned about animal demons before now. Why not test it with something simple and harmless? Not that he would ever use his friend in that manner, of course –that would be morally wrong. He just wanted to know if it worked. “I came back to get you because I couldn't shake the sense that something was wrong.” Which wasn't a lie. He thought back to one specific page in the book Yukiko had given him, locked eyes with the other, and spoke. “Tell me what happened.”

“...” Yosuke sighed in resignation. He couldn't fight the urge to answer him truthfully anymore. “She confronted me about what I am, because...” He grimaced. “She's one, too.” He looked to his friend, begging him to keep this a secret. 

“She's an animal demon?”

“Yeah. A cat. She was in the box with me.”

“I thought she was a boy.”

“Nope. Dunno why she's dressing like one.”

“But, you were alone at the Shrine.”

He nodded. “I knew she'd been there. It made me believe I hadn't always been alone even though I couldn't remember why. Something made me forget her and the Red World until she opened her big cat mouth.”

“What's the Red World?”

He fussed with the headphones around his neck. “It's this stupid nightmare I keep having where I'm running away from these solid black...blob-things trying to eat me. It honestly scares the crap out of me, an—Why am I telling you this? Can we stop talking about it now?”

“Ok.” So, that's what must have attacked his friend that night nearly two months ago when he was called to the Hanamura residence. He suddenly recalled his uncle mentioning having to deal with a cat-girl at the police station. It wasn't hard to pin together that the one Yosuke spoke of was her. He left it alone for now. 

“Another demon,” Yosuke chuckled. “I thought I was the only one.”

They walked on in silence for a while. He hadn't intended on giving Yu any kind of answer beyond 'I don't know,' and kicked himself for spilling the beans so readily. It was probably because he trusted the other completely, but something nagged at him to ask. “What did you do just now anyway?” Yosuke finally broke the quiet.

“I gave you a direct command. According to the book Yukiko gave me, and what your mom said, the one who names an animal demon has the ability to control that demon. I just wanted to see if it was true. Apparently, it is.”

Yosuke jerked to a halt. “What?! Whoa, whoa, back it up. You can freakin' control me?! Dude! What the hell?!”

“Obviously I wouldn't. You are your own person.” He stopped. “You were honest with me, so I'm being honest with you.”

“No! That's just.... No!” He paused. “Have you ever done it before?”

He paused. “Maybe once or twice.”

“Once or twice?! 

“Calm down.”

Yosuke took a few deep breaths. “Like when?”

“Just now. Once when you tried to eat off my plate. When you tried to eat Nanako's science project. When you'd found a sheet of bubble wrap at midnight. When you'd discovered a katana in the Hanamura's hall closet. When--”

“Ok, ok, I get it.” Yosuke snapped his hand up. He remembered each of those instances –especially the one about the sword. He'd never heard Yu shout a warning that explosively before, or seen him move that fast to catch the blade when it fell. The little fox felt the powerful will to obey that came with every order, though it had never been malicious or forceful. He'd always just felt like he wanted to. “That's seriously wrong. I don't like that. Don't ever use that...”

“Compulsion.”

“...compulsion thing on me again. Ok? It's kinda deh..dem.uh...”

“Demeaning?”

“Yeah, that. I've only been speaking this language for a month, so, sorry if I don't know all the... um...”

“Grammatical minutia?”

“Yeah, that.”

“Fair enough.” 

They entered Junes and took the elevator to the rooftop food court. “...You're tempted, aren't you.”

Yu just tilted his head upward slightly to stare at the number over the elevator.

Yosuke slugged him in the shoulder. “You're lucky we're friends. I am one-hundred-percent done with revelations for a while.”

The doors slid open, and the two walked out to meet the girls at their table. Yosuke spotted the beautiful wavy hair of Saki Konishi in the distance, and smiled. His day improved exponentially. Tomorrow, he would ask her to share a beef stick with him after school. 

“Hey, did you hear they found a body this morning?” 

He paused just before sitting down at the table. A group of girls were talking next to a slushie stand behind them. His ears weren't visible, but his hearing was still sharp.

“Yeah, it's all over the news. That reporter, Miss Yamano, right?”

“Wow, I can't believe it. A murder. That never happens. I think she was on that weird channel, too. Did you see that?”

Yosuke refocused on the group at the table as the girls wandered away with their slushies. “Hey,” he spoke up. “Did you guys hear about what happened this morning?”

“Besides you making a dork out of yourself on your first day of school?” Chie sipped on her soda. 

“You mean Miss Yamano?” Yukiko opened her book for the study session. “She'd been staying at the inn. Reporters and police were all over the place asking questions. They said she was found hanging. Something like that has never happens here.”

Chie frowned. “That's freaky. I hope we don't have a serial killer on the loose. How'd you hear about it?”

“It's all over the news,” Yosuke repeated what he'd heard. Though he hadn't seen it himself, it was a good cover. “I watch a lot of TV.” 

Chie tore at a beef stick. “Hey! It's going to rain tonight. Maybe we should try watching for that Midnight Channel thing.”

“Is that rumor still going around?” Yu had his own notebook open. 

She nodded. “Yeah. I haven't tried it yet, though, because I didn't want to be the only one. Besides, I want to see who my soulmate is.” Her grin widened at the thought of someone as muscular as Bruce Lee appearing on the screen. Sure, it was just a wish, but she didn't want to call up her best friend without the other having seen it as well. She wanted another set of eyes to assure her she wouldn't be hallucinating due to fatigue that late at night.

Yukiko tapped the end of her pen against her lips. “It might be a good distraction from the murder.”

“Then it's settled!” Chie set the bare stick that once held beef onto the paper plate. “At midnight, we'll all watch it and tell each other what we saw the next day.”

Yosuke folded his arms. “That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. I've watched TV at midnight lots of times before and didn't see anything remotely like that except for reruns of “Aibou” and “Star Trek.” 

“The TV has to be turned off, dumbass,” her eyes narrowed.

He continued as if she hadn't said anything. “Although, if Lt. Uhura was my soul mate, I wouldn't mind. That little dress is like that one nurse's from—ow! My shin! Chie!”

“That was me,” Yukiko stated calmly.

“I'll do it,” Yu spoke up.

The three looked at him curiously. 

“Really?” Chie blinked. She didn't think the guys would actually go along with it. “Like, 'really' really?”

“Sure. Why not? Like you said,” He slid a side look with a slight smile to Yukiko, “it would be a good distraction.”

Yukiko blushed slightly with a smile to her notebook. 

Yosuke leaned back in the chair with a heavy exhale. “Fine, I'm in, too.”

Chie couldn't smile more broadly if she tried. Other people were actually going along with her suggestion. “Great! Now let's study so we can actually pass that quiz tomorrow, thanks to Captain Loudmouth, here.”

He glared at her. “I will find a nickname for you, someday. I'm thinking something with the word 'carnivore' in it.”

* * * *  
\----That evening...----

Yosuke tiredly unlocked the front door, turned on the living room light, and slipped off his shoes. “I’m home.” No one answered. “Oh yeah.” His parents would be out on a business trip to the city all weekend, which meant the house was his for 4 days. At last! He dropped his school bag on the couch, though his thick reddish-brown tail brushed it onto its side, picked up the remote, and flopped down onto the floor. One push of the power button, and the sounds of a local game show filled the room. He stretched, got up, and walked to the kitchen to browse the refrigerator. His white-tipped ears twitched as he perused the selection. The only truly recognizable thing that he could eat beyond making a suicide sandwich was the per-prepared dinners and lunches his parents had left for him inside plastic containers with his name and date written on a piece of masking tape across the top. He grabbed tonight’s meal and a melon soda, and popped the food into the microwave. 

Being a food lover, he'd learned to use the microwave very quickly. He can't, however, cook on the stove. 

He popped the top of the can and chugged the fizzy sweet liquid in a few gulps. If he was going to have the place to himself, he should invite a few people over. He’d been left with specific instructions not to have any parties while they were gone, and he had to either stay at home, or –if he absolutely had to get out of the house—to call Yu. Two or three friends wouldn’t constitute a ‘party.’ Just a friendly gathering of fellow classmates who knew his secret. He sent a text to his best friend. [rents are gone. game night. bored. come over.]

*pi pi pi. pi pi pi.* His phone beeped softly with a response. [Something’s up with Nanako. She’s sick. I’ll text when I can.]

Yosuke sighed and pocketed the phone. He sat down with the reheated food on the floor and watched the game show, occasionally glancing out the window as the fading daylight gave way to late evening. The opened school bag slid off the couch, spilling his homework onto the floor. He let it be. Homework was created by an evil being. As of today, he'd created a personal mandate to boycott any and all forms of homework. 

The next hour was spent doing stuff he was forbidden to do. He jumped across the couches and chairs seeing how many times he could hit each cushion without touching the floor, he ran up and down the stairs, had a slinky race down the stairs, pretended to be the world’s most amazing fox demon ninja in the back yard, plugged in his mp3 player to the home stereo sound system, danced to some amazing air guitar skills, and shot paperclips across the kitchen via rubber band. 

The following hour found him folding paper cranes in front of the TV out of printer paper. He sacrificed an entire reem to the cause. A few hundred paper cranes piled up around the room. Through all of this time-consuming mayhem, the schoolbag and homework remained completely untouched.   
Someone rapped their knuckles against the door. He nearly flew over the furniture to open it. Finally! Company! His future hours of boredom had come to an end. Excited, he opened the door expecting to find his best friend, but instead…

“Good. You’re home. May I come in?” 

He blinked down at the cat-demon girl. “Right. I forgot you said you were coming over.” He moved aside to let her in. Even if this so-called ‘detective prince’ was his only company, it was still better than being in this huge house by himself. She wore a boys uniform from school, which made him believe he and Yu were the only ones who knew she was a girl due to their history –what he could remember of it. 

She moved into the living room where the massive mounds of paper cranes greeted her. Her eyes shifted to the abandoned school work on the floor. “Nice to know you’re using your time wisely.”

“I hate being alone. Besides, all I've done was study since I got here. I need a breather.” He closed the door and walked into the kitchen. A small cluster of paper cranes drifted out of his way on a weak breeze, though he hardly noticed. “You want a soda, or something?”

“Please.”

He handed one over from the refrigerator and kept one for himself. “So, what’s your name?”

She sipped the drink. “Naoto Shirogane. Bound to Kaori Shirogane.”

“Is that how we’re supposed to introduce ourselves, or... is that just how you do it?”

He gained no response.

Yosuke cleared his throat, and extended his hand. He'd give this a try, because why not? “Nice to meet you again. I’m Yosuke Hanamura. Bound to Yu Narukami--”

“I know.” She took the offered greeting. 

“Of course you do.” He cracked open the soda and chugged. “There really has to be another word for that. How’d you find me anyway?”

“That's been the title used for over a thousand years. I doubt anyone will change it because you have a gutter-mind. And it was purely by accident.” She swiped some paper cranes off of a chair and sat down, still holding the can of soda. Her slim navy blue tail draped over the arm. Only because the other demon was letting his animal features show completely did she dare to do the same. If this was a safe haven for him, she could find tranquility here, too. “I was investigating a suspicious person to gather intel on a case I’m working on when I saw you at the food court talking to that third year student.”

“Saki Konishi?” He smiled, flicking his tail to clear paper cranes out of the way absently, and sat cross-legged on the floor. “She, uh.. she's pretty cool. She ignores me sometimes –most of the time, but she’s amazing. There's just something about her. Unlike everyone else here, she doesn't think I'm here to destroy the town.” 

“I see. Well, you let your ears become visible in public. She must really affect you.” Naoto stated smoothly, as if reading the information from a page. 

He stared at the can of soda in his hand. “It’s that obvious?”

“Very.”

He flopped backward, spreading paper cranes out on a tiny breeze.

“I also recognized your smell. Only when you walked by did I fully recall your presence in the box as well.”

He sat up. “So what’s the real reason you came over, other than to have a Box reunion? You’re being all ‘secrets’ and ‘code words.’” Which was how he remembered her. The more time he spent around her, the more clear his memory became. She never could take ‘I don’t know’ for an answer.   
“Honestly, I need your help.” Naoto set her half-finished can on a side table. She arched her eyebrows slightly when he quickly slipped a coaster under it. This room was filled with paper cranes, and he was concerned about a moisture ring on the table?

“You don’t know my mom,” was all he said in response to her expression. “So. My help.”

“What else do you remember about the box?”

He scratched absently at his ear in thought. “It was cramped and warm—high enough that I could stand up, but I couldn't climb out. It was also dark for a long time. I tried to open the top, but it wouldn't budge. You clawed the crap out of one side, too, but never got through. That thing was surprisingly tough for cardboard. There were towels –a blue one, and a reddish orange one. It bounced around a lot, too, and you kept kicking me, and you bit my ear.” He narrowed his eyes at her, though empty of any real anger. His gaze flicked to the ceiling as he fought to recall his past around the sounds of an evening drama series playing on the large television. “I remember feeling tired a lot. You kept waking me up. The food was all right; not great, but tasty. I remember feeling like I was going to barf for a while, though. Dunno why.”

“Interesting.” He'd repeated everything she'd already known, though from his point of view. “So, you don’t recall anyone else?”

“Just the tall guy wearing a baseball hat. I can't remember his face, though, but I know he had silver, wavy hair.” He frowned. “He was the one who dumped me at the Shrine.” 

“Anyone else?”

He shook his head as he folded another crane.

She rested her elbows on her knees. Her tail flicked idly. “There was a third with us. And I need you to help me find him.”

Confused, he glanced over at her. “I spent days in that box alone after I woke up and you'd disappeared. I think I'd remember someone else.” The crane was quickly tossed to the side. 

“You didn’t remember me.” She finished off the soda and set the can down. “He’s a dog demon with one black ear and solid black eyes.”

That made him stop as the memory of the creepy kid in Junes returned full strength. He shook it away. “Any leads on how we can find him?”

She nodded. “Just one. He's in town. If you and I are here, then it's a solid bet he's here, too. It's only been little over two months.”   
One thing he knew about Inaba was that it was a very isolated place away from the rest of civilization –or what he knew of the outside world thanks to media venues. “I guess we can go looking around tomorrow after school. Not sure what to do beyond that.”

“Agreed. Get some rest.”

“Can't.” He turned the television off so the only sound in the room was the rain that had begun to fall. “I got this thing I gotta do at midnight.” He noted her eyes were glued to the window, or more accurately, the shiny, wet street outside. It would be completely ironic if she hated water. Way to fall into a stereotype. “Do...you...wanna...stay?” 

Her tail flipped in irritation as she frowned at the weather. She wasn't necessarily weak to it, more like she seriously despised getting wet with a severe passion. “Perhaps until the rain lets up. I need to call my parents.” Her phone was up to her ear in seconds. 

His phone beeped to an incoming text. He thumbed over to the new message. [Nanako's fine now. I should stay and keep an eye on her. Are you ok?]

He typed back quickly. [Yes. The cat demon is here. Her name is Naoto. You still gonna watch the Midnight Channel?]

[Yes. It's intriguing.]

Naoto pocketed her cell phone. “I'm clear to stay here. What's this midnight project of yours?”

“It's stupid,” he huffed and set the phone on the floor. “One of my friends said that if you watch a TV turned off at midnight on a rainy night, you'll see your soul mate –or some crap like that. We're all going to report back tomorrow if we saw anything, and I'm bored enough to try.”  
“I've heard that rumor. There's no basis of fact in it.”

He flopped onto his back on the couch with his head upside-down over the edge. “According to the rest of Inaba, there's no basis in fact for our existence either.” He waited a long moment before finally saying, “So, you wanna watch for it, or what?”

She sat in a chair and nodded. “It sounds interesting, and you pose a good point. Why not.”

11pm came and went. 

Yosuke had popped a bag of microwave popcorn to watch the Midnight Channel. Because what else should you do when watching late night TV? A few dozen more paper cranes covered the floor, and not all of them were made by his hand. He'd had enough time to show Naoto the method Yu had taught to himself and Nanako. 

Being one who thrives on knowledge, Naoto accepted this method of passing time. She made a personal vow to look up a book on origami later.   
By the time the clocked clicked over to 12:00am, the bowl was empty. Both animal demons had cleaned it out. 

The screen flickered to life like it was trying to find a station. The image of a girl running through the street blinked in and out, though it was so fuzzed over with sepia toned interference, that it was hard to get a decent look at her features. She had long hair, and she was wearing a school uniform. Anything beyond that was guess work.

Yosuke leaned forward, squinting to try to clear the image. “Hey, that looks like--”

“Yosuke. Look behind her.” Naoto pointed to the scenery beyond. Broken shops lined the street, the cement was cracked, and the sky...  
His jaw hit the floor. “No way...” No way could that be real. It was a nightmare, just a horror story that invaded his dreams. It lived in his head alone. How could something like that wind up on a station that wasn't supposed to exist? It was impossible that that place could be--

“The Red World,” Naoto's shocked whisper interrupted his train of thought, as if she'd been reading it.

Yosuke looked to her –noting her ears lay flat and her tail was still as the eye of a hurricane—then back to the screen. The clocked changed to 12:01am and the screen went dead. Only their reflections stared back. He rested on his heels with his tail curled around his feet. His nightmare had been transmitted to everyone who thought giving in to the fad of a local rumor would be a good idea. Which meant Chie, Yukiko, and Yu had seen it, too. 

His ears drooped. “Oh, balls.”


	8. 8th Scent: Everyone Is Someone Else

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone gathers to talk about who the victim in the Midnight Channel was, and who may be next. Naoto receives a photograph with new evidence that completely changes the case. After more than 2 months, she runs into Kanji again, but this time the taller 1st year student can't ignore that Naoto looks familiar.  
> That night, the next victim becomes clear on the Midnight Channel.

8th SCENT: EVERYONE IS SOMEONE ELSE

\----July 8th. Friday. Lunch at the park...----

The gloom from last night's storm refused to leave the small town alone. It threatened another onslaught with slate gray clouds whipped across the sky like cream. The whole bleary atmosphere mirrored the mood of the five people in the traditional Japanese gazebo in the park. 

They ate their lunches in silence. No one wanted to bring up the elephant in the room that crushed them during an impromptu morning assembly at school. A fellow student had been found dead at sunrise, hanging from a telephone pole. A 3rd year. Classes were canceled in lieu of parents calling to pull their children out of school for the day. The administration had foreseen this, and sent everyone home after the assembly. No one could celebrate a sudden three day weekend. 

Chie tried to gauge the emotions of the others at their table. Yu looked the same as always. Yukiko held a more serious expression than usual, the new kid Yosuke invited seemed indifferent, almost contemplative, and Yosuke himself looked...

She cast her eyes to her half empty beef bowl, but couldn't bring herself to eat any more. Her friend had managed to finish his lunch, and now he just sat cross-legged on the bench next to Yu. She didn't know what to say. Her method of dealing with a hard situation was to roundhouse it to the floor and walk away victorious. He hadn't spoken since the meeting. He could be annoying, and hyper sometimes, but right now, this stiff silence was the most heartbreaking sight she'd seen since Yukiko's pet bird flew away. 

“If I may,” Naoto began softly, aware this was a delicate time. “I know you are all grieving, so please don't take my next words as insensitive.”  
They all looked to her, except for Yosuke. The fox demon just stared at his clenched hands in his lap. 

“The case I'm working on revolves around the unfortunate fate of Myumi Yamano. The circumstances of this recent,” she had to stop herself from saying 'murder,' “tragedy matches that of Miss Yamano's.”

“That's right,” Chie spoke up. “You're the one everyone's calling the 'Detective Prince,' aren't you?”

“You think they might be related?” Yukiko asked. 

Naoto nodded to both questions. “The MO matches the state in which Miss Yamano and Miss Konishi were found. The Inaba police now believe they're dealing with a serial murderer.”

Yosuke grit his teeth as the hold over his control wavered. He thought of the Midnight Channel. If he'd only known it would be her on that screen, if he could have warned her earlier that day when they went to Junes to study and not been so blithe about it... 

The anger quelled a bit when Yu discretely touched his back. 

He was aware that everyone knew Yosuke's secret, though the girls didn't know about Naoto, and thus were not aware of her connection to the fox demon. Until Naoto was ready to reveal her true nature, Yu and Yosuke would keep it to themselves. 

“When we watched the Midnight Channel, I was pretty sure I saw Saki on that screen,” Yosuke's voice remained low, “I thought I'd recognized her, but I wasn't sure.”

“Yosuke,” Chie wanted to tell him the picture was so scattered, there was no way to know who it was, but he cut her off.

“Let me finish, will ya?!” He took a deep breath in regret at yelling at her. “Before then, I'd overheard some girls at Junes saying they thought they saw Miss Yamano on it, too. What if they both have something to do with the Midnight Channel?”

Naoto noticed Yu's hand remained on Yosuke's back the whole time. The two girls would most likely dismiss it as a best friend offering comfort. She knew otherwise. Yu was consciously using their bond to keep the fox demon in check. If not for that, her friend would most likely be in a raging fit right now. Her connection with her mother wasn't that powerful. The jealous twinge that followed the observation surprised and upset her. She pushed it back to focus on the case. “It's possible.” Naoto ran this train of logic through her mind quickly. The dots began to add up. “The report stated that Miss Konishi was indeed the one who discovered Miss Yamano's body.”

“And then she showed up on the Midnight Channel,” Chie mused.

“Then who found--” Yukiko couldn't even finish her question.

“Rise Kujikawa.”

Yu blinked. “The tofu shop girl? I saw her sing at Aiya's Karaoke night once. She's good.” 

Naoto put her empty box lunch in her bag. “She's a first year in my class. I didn't see her this morning. She was most likely giving her statement, or an interview.” 

“The weather report said there would be another storm tonight,” Yukiko said. 

“We should all watch it,” Chie took a risk in voicing her opinion, popular or not. They all knew what she meant by 'it.' “Ya know...just in case she shows up.”

Everyone remained silent, though it was clear tonight would be another late one.

Naoto's phone buzzed. She checked her message from her mother about the case. “I'll give you all my number. Please call if you see anything.” She left the gazebo to the four and on to her mission of locating Rise Kujikawa. 

Naoto studied a photo her mother had sent from the police department's database, and frowned. Something about it wasn't right. She brought up a previous photo of Miss Yamano for comparison. Two small discolorations on their heads pixelated out. Naoto drew her fingers up to enlarge the picture for a better look, and did the same with Saki's photo taken this morning. Both photos showed the same unusual dark areas on their heads above their ears. No, in these shots she couldn't see any sign of ears at all. Their hair didn't bump up, or split to the sides by anything. It was just...flat. Their ears were gone. 

She zoomed in on the darkened areas, The ones on Miss Yamano had begun to show points, and the ones on Saki Konishi were round like those on the squirrel that chattered in the tree above her. She gasped. Those weren't pixelations. 

Those were animal ears. 

She picked up her pace to head to the tofu shop. In her haste, she didn't notice another first year student striding quickly around the path. He ran straight into her hard enough to knock the phone from her hand. “Watch where you're going,” she snapped.

“Me? Open your eyes, you little—huh?” Kanji stared curiously down at her, confused. 

She swiped her phone, but in a jolt of panic, realized the impact had knocked her hat off behind her as well. She quickly scooped it up and pressed it over her feline ears. Only when she looked up at him did she pause. It was the same person she'd helped at the police station the day she met her Bonded. He was her first case. Oddly, she felt happy to see him again. The feeling's origin unsettled her. “Mr. Tatsumi.”

The tall blonde blinked and pointed a finger tentatively at her head. “You... have cat ears...” They were exactly like the ones on the little creature who'd cleared his name over two months ago, and these were real without a doubt. He could spot a costumed headband a mile away. 

He remembered how soft they were, and how sharp her eyes had been when she's meowed at him after he repeated her name. It was like she'd been looking clear through the facade he fought every day to maintain. He didn't want to admit it, but he'd wanted to take her home that day. 

She took off down the walking path. What else could she do but run? He knew of her animal demon form, but her Human form was her secret identity.

A cool spring wind swept past him as he watched her go. He never thought he'd see anything like that again in his life. The ears were exactly the same, and he would bet his entire stash of imported angora yarn that they were just as soft. A being like the one in the police station didn't come around often. This short boy had the same haircut, the same eyes, identical ears, and even put off the same vibe. He kicked himself for not looking for a tail. If this boy was the same creature, or another one like the cat-girl, he had to find out, or it would drive him nuts. 

He grit his teeth, determined to find the truth, and followed.

* * * *  
\----That night in Yu's room...----

The announcement of Saki's death reversed Yu's decision to tell the others what he'd experienced the night they all watched the Midnight Channel. He could trust them, though going into a story of how a massive migraine carrying a voice that loudly proclaimed, 'I am Thou, and Thou art I. Ye who shall open the door,' seemed a little too weird, even in comparison to the current animal demon situation. On top of that, he didn't know where to begin explaining how his right arm got caught inside the TV.

Not in the back of the TV, or under it, but inside the screen. 

Thankfully, the old unit was too small, or he may have been pulled in. He'd fallen back and struck his head on the small table in his room, so for all he knew, he'd dreamed the whole thing. If anything showed up tonight, he was going to use that opportunity to find out if he'd imagined it or not. If it worked, he would tell them tomorrow when they met up at Junes for lunch. 

His uncle snored loudly on the living room couch, so Yu stayed in his own bedroom tonight. Rain pattered on the window behind him as he stared into the blank TV screen. The clock ticked the seconds away to midnight. He flexed his fingers, ready to put his idea to the test if anything showed up. 

12:00am.

He held his breath.

The screen flickered to the dissonant tone of static. Within it, an image of a girl in long puffy pigtails came into focus. He watched as the screen cleared enough to make out who it was, and even the background behind her, though it still phased in and out from the curse of bad reception. She stood in front of what looked like the local live theater. A marquee with her name lit up in lights over the elaborate doors. 

“Hey, boys,” the girl on the screen bent over so her ample cleavage took up most of the frame. 

Yu hardly noticed she was wearing a trendy pop star outfit –scratch that—that she was wearing anything at all. 

“And girls. I don't discriminate.” She laughed. “Everyone loves to be entertained, and I am dying to show you my stuff,” She shimmied her chest in time to a giggle, then leaned back so the screen showed most of her well-shaped body. She had legs that went from here to there and back again. “Let me sing for you. Let me dance for you!” She spun in a circle, the curls of her brown hair catching on a breeze. “Come see me, the Dark Diva, tonight. Watch me bare my true self.” The girl smiled, winked, and leaned forward again. “Just. For. You.” She giggled and blew a kiss at the camera Marilyn Monroe style. 

The image fizzled back into static, and disappeared. 

Yu stared transfixed at the TV.

A crack of thunder snapped him back to the present. He rushed the screen just as the clock ticked to 12:01am, and slapped his palm to the glass. For a moment, he thought it wouldn't work since it was past midnight. He exhaled in disappointment. Damn. 

Then without warning, it vanished. The screen rippled as he lurched forward in a cry of surprise. His hand passed completely through up to his elbow. He grit his teeth against the sensation of a cool, vast empty space where his hand should have come out the back of the unit. He pushed his other hand and foot against the TV and pulled his arm free. Curious, he pulled up the sleeve of his gray baseball shirt to check for any damage. Not a single scratch. He was perfectly fine. 

The clock read 12:02. This happened after midnight, which meant it could be possible to do this at any time, or maybe from any television.   
His phone buzzed in his pocket. He steadied his breathing and answered. “Yeah.”

“Dude! Was that her?!” Yosuke's voice exploded from the phone.

“Yeah.”

“Oh man, she's hot! Why didn't you tell me she was such a babe?”

“She didn't look like that before. Plus, she's likely twice your age.” Though he would never argue against the 'hot' factor.

“I don't care! Wow... Hey... that place she was at looked like downtown, but the sky was like...” Yosuke's tone dropped to a more serious level,” ...it was the same as last time.”

“Let's talk about this tomorrow morning at Junes.”

“Ok. I'll call the others.” 

Yu hung up and pocketed the phone. 

Regardless of what happened when the sun came up, he was going to tell his friends everything that occurred tonight –from the strange voice, to the television set attempting to eat him alive. If the people who appeared on the Midnight Channel were ending up dead, they had to figure out what was going on, and find Rise Kujikawa before someone else reported another body on a telephone pole.


	9. 9th Scent: The Red World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone saw Rise's risque appearance on the Midnight Channel. Yu tells his new friends that he could push through the t.v. screen, but no one believes him until he proves it. Kanji is dragged in with them. The fledgling team plummets into the world of the Fox and Cat demon's nightmares --the Red World is real. They need to get Rise out of there before she winds up like Sake Konishi, but the weapon her Shadow uses throws them into a whole new problem when Chie is struck down.

9th SCENT: THE RED WORLD

\----July 9th. Saturday. The next morning. Junes food court...----

Yu, Yosuke, Naoto, Chie, and Yukiko sat around their self-claimed table near the edge of the rooftop. The place had just opened, so the crowd in the mega store remained at a trickle. 

“So, that was her on the Midnight Channel,” Yukiko said.

“I checked around yesterday, but no one had seen her the whole day.” Naoto picked at her food. “My instincts tell me she's defiantly the next victim.”

“If this is mimicking what happened to Saki and miss Yamano,” Yu began, “then all we know for sure is that Rise Kujikawa is in real danger.”  
Chie tapped the table top. Anger swelled in her at the audacity of this moron kidnapping people. “Then we have to find her first. Was there anything anyone saw on the Midnight Channel that might give us a clue?”

Everyone stayed quiet, due to the fact that no one had an answer. 

Yosuke weighed the pros and cons of telling them about the similarities between his nightmare of the Red World, and the background of the Midnight Channel. He knew Naoto's secret needed to be protected, but lives were at stake here. He trusted Chie and Yukiko with own, and –thanks to his hours spent in front of the television set and computer—he'd seen enough science fiction movies to know where their destiny lie if anyone of the 'evil scientist' crowd discovered what they were. Experiments in a lab, and needles would be their future. Still, he knew these two enough to feel safe in revealing her secret. 

He opened his mouth to release that can of worms when Yu spoke up.

“My hand went into the TV last night.”

They all stared at him. 

“Sorry. What?” Yukiko wasn't sure she heard him right.

“And the previous night, too. It tried to pull me in, but the screen was too small.”

Chie exchanged curious glances with the others. “Um, are you sure you didn't hit your head or something?”

“I did the first time, but not last night.” He continued.

“Going into the television is impossible,” Naoto stated.

Yu regarded her calmly. “So is the Midnight Channel, and so are--” He bit his tongue from nearly blurting out the truth about animal demons. He stood. He was prepared for this. “You don't believe me? Fine. I'll prove it.” 

The four followed quickly to keep up with his long-legged stride. 

“Dude, I believe you. I can tell you're not lying.” Yosuke said.

“I know you can,” Yu chose the stairs instead of the elevator. The slim stairwell echoed their footsteps in perfect reverb down to the third floor. “But they can't.” He marched into the the electronics department and straight to the back where the TV sets welcomed shoppers to purchase them at their low, low prices.

They stopped in front of the largest one in the back marked up way too high, even with a 'sale' sticker on it. Thankfully, this area of the department was free of customers, so they had this corner all to themselves. Yu held up his right hand, palm up to the massive, dark, flat screen, and touched the tips of his fingers to the liquid crystal surface. 

The others mouths gaped open in shock as the screen rippled and swallowed his hand. 

“Believe me now?” He withdrew his arm and flexed his fingers. Again, nothing was damaged. This also solidified his idea that he could do this at any time of day with any television. 

“I don't...” Yukiko stuttered. “But how...” 

“I don't know. It just happened.” 

Yosuke placed his hand against the screen, but it did not yield the same results. 

The sight of the rippling effect drew out Naoto's memory of the red world, or more specifically, the wall the box carrier had jumped through to escape the darkness. 

“Yu,” Yosuke turned to his first friend as he felt a rush of excitement, fear, and resolution. “We can save her. We couldn't save Saki, but we can save Rise.”

“What the hell was that?”

All eyes turned to the new intruder. Naoto felt a knot of apprehension drop into her stomach. Oh no. This was no what she needed right now. 

Kanji strode forward. “His hand just went completely through the screen!”

They had to diffuse this situation, and it had to happen fast before anyone else came into the store. Kanji didn't look like the type of person to be up in the morning browsing for music, or the latest MP3 player, or alarm clock. She scowled. “Did you follow me here?”

“What? No, I didn't follow anyone.”

“I could tell someone was tailing me yesterday. Call it a hunch. Stalking is a crime, Tatsumi.” Even though he towered over her by more than a foot, she still exuded a sense of 'don't mess with me.'

“I wasn't stalking anyone!” Kanji defended. 

Naoto responded with pure sarcasm. “Right. You're here to pick up the latest “One Direction” CD.”

Seeing a prime opportunity for a joke in one of those television moments that seemed like a good idea, but in hindsight would be the exact opposite, Yosuke folded his arms and chimed in before thinking it through. “Nah. He's here for the Justin Beiber album.”

Rage. Kanji felt it boil up inside as he clenched his fists. “What are you trying to say, you little shit?” He grabbed the older student's white jacket by the collar with a menacing growl.

Yosuke's eyes widened in fear for his life. “N-nothing!” 

Yu and Chie struggled to pull the two apart. “Let him go!” Yu wedged himself between them and tried to push them back. 

Naoto pried at his fingers.

Chie thrust a hard side kick at his hip. 

Kanji buckled in pain, grabbed Chie's leg to balance, but fell against Yu, who pushed into Yosuke, who grabbed Yukiko's arm instinctively to keep from falling, who in turn fell against Naoto. 

The whole group tumbled back against the TV. Only, they didn't knock it over or break a single piece of technology. The screen rippled, further stealing all hope of anyone remaining on their feet, and gave way completely. 

Yosuke heard the others scream as the Junes electronics department morphed into a mass of shifting black and white frames. The ground vanished. It wasn't so much that they were falling, because it didn't feel like the pull of gravity. It was more like they were sliding, or being propelled through the air at an insane speed. There was no way to tell how far they were going, or how fast, but if they hit anything at this point, they would become smears on whatever surface they were unlucky enough to impact. He scrunched his eyes shut around the cries of terror from his friends. Even Yu didn't hold back his emotion this time. 

Well, this was it. He supposed two months of memories wasn't such a bad life...

He hit the ground, but only at the momentum as if he'd tripped. The groans of the others drifted into his hearing and he opened his eyes. Fog surrounded them, but it was nothing worse than a regular misty morning. 

Yu grunted and got to his feet. His back hurt, though thankfully the pain was fading. “Is everyone all right?” 

“Yeah. Ow...” Chie sat up.

“I don't think anything's broken,” Yukiko was helped up by her best friend.

“I'm ok,” Naoto stood and looked around. Her eyes widened, and her ears twitched beneath her cap. The air was heavier, though gut-wrenchingly familiar. 

Yosuke sat up and rubbed his butt. “I think I fell on my phone.” He pulled the tech out of his pocket, and sighed happily when it activated. “Nope, it's fine.” He frowned. “No service, though.” 

“Where is he?” Kanji sat up and looked around, though couldn't see more than a few feet past his hand. “Say that again. I dare you.”

“Hey, That's enough!” Yu ceased all conversation –mostly because he never raised his voice, and they weren't used to it. 

Chie blinked. “Where are we anyway? I can't see past all this fog.”

“Me either. It's thick as soup here.” Yukiko reached for the nearest hand for assistance. 

“It's not that bad,” Yosuke stood and helped her to her feet. “I can still see ok-ish.”

“It's a little thick, but not debilitating,” Yu noted. The area they landed on resembled a giant stage set up for a rock band, only without any sign of a band, or a crowd. In fact, they seemed to be the only ones here. 

Naoto blinked through the red hue, then tipped up her hat to look at the sky. Her ears drooped beneath its protection. “Oh no. This is--”

“--the red world,” Yosuke stepped up beside her. The details of his nightmare returned, and he suddenly wanted to be far, far away from this place. And 'far away' wasn't far enough. “Oh man. Why couldn't that just stay a nightmare?” 

Yu walked forward, taking in what scenery he could make out. The buildings, the sky, the street, all of it seemed like a ghost town mirror of Inaba. “It's the same as the Midnight Channel.”

“The what?” Kanji tried to part the fog in front of him to no use. He could see about 8 feet ahead, but that was it. “What in fresh hell is this place? Will someone explain to me what's going on?”

“If you promise not to beat anyone up,” Chie snarled.

He sighed. “Fine, I promise not to beat the snot out of that transfer student.”

Yu cleared his throat, and told him everything they knew about the Midnight Channel.

When the explanation ended, Kanji had to take a catalog of his satiny, then a deep breath. “So,... you guys are here to rescue this Rise girl,” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Man. Not what I bargained for today. So, does anyone know how to get out of this fun house?”

Silence.

He cursed. 

Yosuke needed something to distract him from the threatening memories of his nightmare, and the box, so he focused on one specific task. “The more we talk, the more danger Rise could be in. I'm not going to stand around and wait for her die, too.” He marched off into the fog.

“Hey! Wait up!” Chie grabbed hold of his hand. She couldn't see a thing, but if he could, then they needed to stick together, or they risked getting separated. This was not a place she wanted to be alone in. Ever. 

Yukiko held onto Yu's left hand, staying close.

Naoto rolled her eyes. “Come on.” She snatched Kanji's hand. 

He walked along with her. “The fog is clearing up a little. Hey, how come you guys can see and we can't?”

Yu, Yosuke, and Naoto all floundered for an excuse. They looked to each other, figuring the demons could see because they weren't Human, and Yu could claim his bond with the fox demon as an excuse. 

“Um,” Yu cleared his throat. “Carrots.”

Kanji didn't bother hiding his confusion. “Carrots?”

“Yeah,” Yosuke tried. “They make your eyes bright. My mom says that all the time. Haven't you heard that saying before?”

“I eat a lot of carrots, and I still can't--” Yukiko hushed when Yu squeezed her hand in a silent but friendly message to shut up.

“You guys are seriously weird.”

“You have no idea,” Naoto muttered. 

They walked into downtown Mirror Inaba. The streets were devoid of traffic of any kind –cars, bicycles, scooters, pedestrians—and the shops swallowed up any light into their dark windows, reminding them of sets for a movie rather than a living town. The hospital loomed above the street with vacant eyes. Every building they walked by held the same feel. The only light to bleed through the fog came from the street lights and the blood-red sky. Occasionally, the quick movements of unidentified forms flickered into view, then faded away like smoke from a freshly extinguished candle. 

Yukiko shot a quick look to her left where a pair of yellow eyes stared out at them from a 2nd story window. 

When they finally stopped, it was in a courtyard that did not exist in their town. A path of yellow stones lead up to the front doors of an old fashioned theater sporting a glowing marquee. It was the same they'd witnessed on the Midnight Channel. If the scene didn't tell them this was their target location, then the giant poster of a charismatic Rise Kujikawa dressed as a singing diva reaching out to a non-existent crowd left no doubt. 

“Yup. This has to be the place,” Yosuke remarked. 

“Your powers of observation are astounding, Yosuke.” One could cut the air with the razor of Naoto's sarcasm. 

“This is the only place with any life.” Yu lead the group in a run through the courtyard and up the steps to the open double doors. 

The lobby of the theater came straight out of a classic photo of the great Broadway theaters shown in magazines. Gold leafing covered the flying buttresses, the cherrywood curving banisters shone as if they'd been freshly waxed, and the carpet wreaked of gaudy 1920's art deco design. Two doors directly in front of them hosted sweeping handles looping into the points and curves of leaves. 

“It looks like someone cloned the Great Gatsby,” Yukiko took in the entire visible scene –what she could make out through the fog that filled the building.

They pushed through the ornate doors right into a spacious live theater. Two levels of balcony seating soared over their heads. Individual box seats decorated the walls, but round seating areas on the floor replaced rows of seating, as though someone had designed this classical theater to blend with a strip club –two things that should never go together. This was definitely not the theater that actually existed in Inaba.

The stage itself supported a closed golden curtain. A slim microphone stood at center stage, and behind it, cradling the mic in one delicately painted hand was Rise. 

She grinned at them, giggled, took the mic from its stand, and kicked it over. “An audience! Finally! Someone who can appreciate my talent! This one has done nothing but whine and cry. It's amazing anyone listens to her at all. What a pathetic little brat!” 

“Look! There she is!” Naoto pointed to a red velvet cushioned bench right in front of the stage with a girl laid across it dressed in normal clothing. A white apron was tied around her waist, and a kerchief secured over her hair. 

“I can hear her, but I can't see that far,” Chie squinted to no avail. 

“If that's Rise, then who's that?” Yosuke pointed at the songstress on stage.

Yu ran past the group toward the couch. The sooner they got her out of this psychedelic hell hole, the sooner they could find a way back to reality. 

The Dark Diva laughed at him and pointed her microphone at the girl on the seat. “Come save her, Hero.” Her yellow eyes stared unblinking at the others. “Make her the star of your heart. It's what she wants.”

Rise Kujikawa blinked to see through the fog at the new silhouettes that joined her in her personal hell. “N-no...” she muttered to the silver haired guy who knelt by her. “G-get away...” She was too tired to fight anymore. The fog had started making her sick. She could hardly move. For the past hours—or days, she wasn't sure—she'd been bombarded with her own image ripping her psyche apart with claims of self-centered greed bouncing from social experience to social experience. She'd denied it all, yet the face that jeered her was her own. 

“It's ok. We've come to get you out of here.” Yu lifted her off the couch.

“I remember you. You were at Karaoke that one time,” she whispered. 

He nodded. “You were good, by the way.” 

She smiled slightly. 

“Touching. Really.” Shadow Rise laughed in an artful dance and gestured with both hands to the hotbox in the balcony above the floor. “And now for the final number. Get ready to meet the true Rise Kujikawa!” 

He stumbled backward as a bright spot light burst to life onto the couch. It barely missed them. 

The Shadow stretched her arms into the air. In response to her control, the spotlight drifted across the room toward the two. 

Yu raced to the group. It may have just been a spotlight, but in this place, if it chased you down, it had to be bad.

Kanji took over carrying Rise without even asking. He was taller than the other boy, and knew he could run faster while carrying someone else. Anything that got them out of here in the time of 'right now' took precedence. He lead the others back to the lobby.

“The show's not over yet!” Shadow Rise slammed her palm against the stage. The spotlight flared, become brighter, and shot up to her fleeing audience. 

It engulfed the last one to reach the threshold. 

Chie screamed as it snared her in place. The light felt like it was burning her up from the inside out. She collapsed. “Ah!” 

“Chie!” Yosuke and Yukiko yelled.


	10. 10th Scent:  Come Save Her, Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chie falls victim to a new weapon. Naoto deduces that it is the same one that was used on Saki Konishi. The Dark Diva engages them in battle. As Yosuke is able to tap into a power he didn't know he had --his Garu skill-- and Naoto finds herself protecting Kanji, Yu uncovers a unique power of his own: the power of the Wild Card. Rise comes to terms with the Shadow she wouldn't accept. The fox demon takes a mortal blow for his Human. For the first time, Yu refers to Yosuke as 'his' fox.  
> Teddie gets a star turn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I highly recommend reading all of the "Training" stories before you start this chapter. Why? It'll increase the level of feels even more, because you'll have their history in your head.  
> Prepare your heart for breakage.

10th SCENT: COME SAVE HER, HERO

Yu tried to pull her away, but jerked his arm back as the heat of the light hit his hand. Tiny rivulets of steam drifted up from his skin. He saw curved claws extend out from his fingers like a feline's, then disappear. “What...?” He shielded his eyes from its increasing brightness, though could not cover his ears from her scream. At last, the light faded, as did the cry of pain. 

The spotlight shut down, forcing his eyes to readjust. When they did, Chie was nowhere in sight. He glanced at her crumpled up jacket. Gingerly, he lifted her abandoned, favorite article of clothing. He wasn't prepared for what the beam left behind.

Chie was shaking, curled up on the floor. Two furry, honey-colored floppy ears drooped over her head, and a tail like that of a golden retriever stuck out from beneath her shirt. It had only changed her body, but left her clothes alone.

Fighting the shock, he wrapped her green jacket around her and picked her up. She was smaller than Yosuke as a demon.  
Everyone stared as Yu ran back to them cradling the puppy girl. 

“What happened to her?” Kanji's eyes widened. He was now officially freaked out –despite how cute the puppy looked.  
Yukiko accepted the new dog demon from Yu so he could fight if he needed to. 

“That beam must have turned her into a full animal demon.” Naoto thought back to the photos of Myumi Yamano and Saki Konishi. Realization of what had happened to them slapped her in the face with a metaphorical brick. 

“Not my intended target, but she'll do as an understudy. One can always learn the art of stealing hearts.” The Dark Diva giggled. “In fact,” she raised the microphone to her mouth so her voice echoed through the room. “That sounds like a good idea. C'mon, boys. Hand 'em over.” She waggled her fingers at the group. “Ahahaha!”

“O-our hearts?” Rise muttered. Though she was weak, she didn't like the sound of that at all. 

“I like my heart where it is, thanks,” Yukiko held up her hand.

Something large, round, and striped in red and black formed out of the fog. It had no eyes, or legs, or even a body. It was nothing but a floating head, and a giant sickly black tongue. 

“What are those?” Yukiko started to back up toward the front door. She had no weapons, no way to fight it, and she knew it was staring at her even though it didn't have eyes. 

Another one formed to the right. 

Yosuke faced one while Naoto faced the other. “We can't take them on. We never learned,” He fought to remember anything he could about this world.

Naoto stared the tongue creatures advanced. “You protected me once.” Curved claws extended out from her fingers. “You can do it again.”  
“What? I don't know how! You're the one with the built-in weaponry!” 

“Your nightmare is not a nightmare. It happened! This is the Red World! Our lives were in danger then, but you wouldn't leave me behind. You have to remember what you did that stopped that monster!”

“How am I supposed to remember that?!” He glanced to the small puppy demon in Yukiko's arms. Little Chie sniffed the air, blinking slightly, and asked what was going on. He cringed. The words were in their language. She retained the basic look of a Human –much like his and Naoto's natural form—but he could tell she was fading fast. Her head lolled to the side as she passed out.

“What are you two talking about?” Kanji cringed when one of the floating monsters tried to lick him. He dodged, but holding Rise meant he couldn't dive behind anything for protection. He shut his eyes, expecting it to eat him, or slobber on him, or dissolve him in acid—whatever it was going to do, but nothing happened. He opened his eyes, blinking in shock. “Naoto?”

Naoto stood with her arms crossed in front of her, claws out, growling at the striped monster. The enemy bore long gashes down its side. It shook itself from the attack. She told herself she was guarding Rise. They were enduring this torture to rescue her, after all. When she glanced back to check if she was all right, it was Kanji's face she looked to first, his well-being that owned her concern. That didn't make sense. She didn't know him at all. “Take her and get out, now!” 

Yu thought back to that night two months ago when the fox demon had felt threatened and the world was still new. He'd somehow managed to create a gale inside the house. He'd only calmed down when Yu had come over at the request of Mrs. Hanamura. 

Yosuke's heart raced as he consciously recalled that nightmare, specifically the moment when the Shadow was bearing down on them with intent to eat them alive. He trembled. Suddenly, without thinking, his hand snapped back and grabbed hold of Yu's wrist. 

Yu's eyes snapped open wide. A rush of images slammed into his mind. He saw the shadow through Yosuke's memory—which was like looking at a giant through glass. He saw it lift the tiny young raccoon demon and devour it, then he saw it come for him and a cat demon on the ground beside him. He understood then the emotion that had drawn out that power. 

He twisted his hand to clasp the others wrist as well, and nodded once. 

Yosuke let him go and faced the two tongue-monsters. He had to fight this nightmare. He had to try, or they would all die. He focused on that moment, on saving their lives. A rush of green breeze formed around him. It swirled in a hurricane pattern, gaining in strength, and using every shred of power he could find. He had no idea what he was doing, but it seemed to be working. One word flared briefly to the front of his mind. Garu. He zeroed in on the two monsters, and thrust his hands out at them. 

The green wind coalesced into a sphere that slammed into the two assailants. It sent them back into the walls flanking the door to the house. Both fizzled into a black miasma. 

He planted his hands on his knees. “Holy crap.” He panted. 

“Putting it lightly,” Kanji stared at the kid he was going to beat up that morning, and was kind of glad he didn't. He still didn't know what to make of any of this, but shock had driven back any logic a long time ago. Right now, he was rolling with the punches. He set Rise down. “You all right?”

She nodded. “I think...I can walk.” 

“Yeah, well you'd better run.”

“We need to get her out of here.” Yukiko glanced to the small dog demon. “She looks like she's getting worse.” She brushed at one of Chie's ears. Her best friend, the one person who knew her better than she knew herself, had fallen victim to the attack just because she'd shoved Yukiko through the door first. 

The puppy demon whimpered, stirring slightly. She was barely conscious, but holding on. 

“Oh, thank God.” Yukiko exhaled in relief. Her friend had survived. Chie was always the stronger one, so if anyone could survive that, it would be her. She hugged the little dog demon. “Stay with me, ok? We'll fix this.” 

The group ran out of the theater back to the courtyard and down the stairs. 

A cluster of four of those tongue-monsters blocked their path. Shadow Rise stood in the middle with her microphone. “Leaving so soon? But you'll miss the matinee.”

Yosuke felt like he's just been kicked in the nuts. “Oh, come on!”

Naoto growled. “You know, I'm really getting sick of her.”

Yu couldn't agree more with that sentiment. He could feel his skin tingling. 

One of the tongue monsters charged. 

Weak, but feeling like she needed to repay them for rescuing her. Rise pushed Yukiko out of the way just in time to be licked up her entire body by the creature's enormous, thick black tongue. She cried out and hit the ground, dizzy. The world spun around her name being called by the girl in the red sweater. She could feel Yukiko trying to shake her awake, and worked desperately to sit up. Pins and needles thrummed through her limbs. “I can't...move...”

Naoto stood in front of them in a fight stance with her hands up, claws ready to slash if it got any closer. 

Kanji faced down the other side with his foot back, ready to box the next monster that dared to get close. “C'mon, you freaks!”

Yu looked to his friends, to their situation, and clenched his fists. They had no way to fight these things, and Yosuke had used up his energy taking out the two inside. This was it. This was how they were going to die. Not by a car accident, or through old age, or even the flu. Nope. They would all be killed by strange energy-sucking monsters, and a heart-stealing devil diva with a microphone. A headache began to pound at the center of his forehead. He pressed his hand to it, though the same voice he'd heard two days ago returned. 

'I am Thou, and Thou art I. The time...is now.' 

When he pulled his hand away, it held a blue card. 

Shadow Rise spun the mic by its cord and caught it in her hand with a stomp of her high heel to the ground. “Can't have a party crasher.” 

“Yosuke, take Chie and the others and run.” Yu closed his hand around the card. 

“Forget it. I'm not leaving you behind.”

Yu locked eyes with him. If they didn't leave now, they would all die. He had to protect them. “Go!”

“Like hell I will!”

He grit his teeth, breathing deeply. He didn't want to do this, but the fox demon gave him no choice. “Yosuke! I am your Bonded! I am giving you a direct command! Take everyone and run!”

Yosuke froze, wide eyed and speechless. He felt his foot slide back. Yu had given him his word that he would never used that ability against him. His friend would die if he had to fight these monsters by himself. He would lose his Bonded –his best friend—and that scared the crap out of him. “Yu...” He stepped back again, though tried to stop himself from obeying the command. 

“Go!”

Yosuke grimaced, “Dammit!” He gave in and ran to Rise. “Help me carry her,” he said to Kanji. 

The tall boy easily picked her up again. Kanji was about to ask why he was obeying Yu, but the pained look on the others face was enough. Somehow, he was being forced to leave his best friend behind. 

“This play ends with the Hero's death.” The Dark Diva leveled the microphone at the one with enough courage to remain in the middle of the lion's den. It lit up in her hand like a hot poker. “Everyone loves a Tragedy.” 

Yosuke looked back. *Take everyone and run!* A way out of this struck him like lightning. He skid to a halt. 

“What are you doing?!” Naoto yelled.

“Everyone... I have to get everyone!” 'Everyone' included Yu. Freed of the order, he turned on his heel and took off at his fastest speed –faster than any normal Human could run, weaving back through the tongue monsters. 

Yu stared down the Dark Diva. 

“Per...”

The energy beam cut a path through the air right for his chest.

“...so...”

Yosuke leaped in front of him.

“...na.”

Yu crushed the card in his hand.

Blue energy swirled around him, lighting up his eyes and pulling from every cell. Above him, the figure of a warrior formed. It held a sword out to its side, becoming more solid as the power exploded from Yu Narukami. 

Kanji, Naoto, and Yukiko stared at the giant black-clad samurai that easily dwarfed the enemy. 

“Izanagi!” Yu swept his hand out at the threat. 

In response, the ethereal warrior spun the sword over his head, and launched himself through the air at the nearest monster. A slash of the blade cleaved it completely in half. Yu thrust his hand up and out. The samurai mimicked the motion. It uppercut the second monster into oblivion, though the third clamped its teeth around his arm. 

Yu cried out at the pain shooting through his left arm.

The giant warrior pried the enemy away, ripped its mouth open, and tossed it aside as he circled around. He pierced the last monster through its center clean through the back. The creatures burst into the same sick smoke as their counterparts inside. 

Yu and Izanagi both faced shadow Rise. His arm hung limply at his side as he shifted his feet into a more sturdy ready stance. Yu swept his right hand out. His Persona did the same. He flicked his wrist up, keeping his gaze fixed on the Shadow. Izanagi clutched the hilt of the blade in both gloved hands. If he was meant to perish here, then he would go down fighting with every ounce of life he possessed. 

Shadow Rise spun the mic above her head and charged, lifting off the ground. The cord of her weapon whipped around Izanagi's neck. She grabbed both ends and pulled hard.

The rubber cable strained as its coils constricted. 

Yu clutched at his own crushing throat with his good hand. It strangled him though his Persona was the one taking the hit. 

“Eeyah!” The diva jammed her perfectly manicured clawed fingers into Izanagi's chest. “Give me your heart!” 

Yu lurched forward as shards of glass dug themselves into his skin. A single word flared in his mind. *Zio!*

Izanagi clutched the cable. Electricity exploded from his hands, down the wire, right to the Dark Diva. 

She saw that coming, though wasn't able to get out of the way fast enough to avoid it. The shock sent her screaming across the courtyard. She slowly staggered to her feet, laughing the whole time. “So, you wanna play? Let's play.” Her body grew as she charged Izanagi, spinning the microphone like a bladed ax. 

Izanagi dodged, though cut his sword through the air. 

The giant shadow back-hand-overed away. She spun in a circle of laughter and rammed her foot across his face. 

Both Persona and user lurched to the side in response. 

The attacker vaulted into the air straight for the samurai with her spinning blade of microphone. 

Izanagi met her charge, ducked suddenly, and slashed across her middle. 

The evil shadow hit the ground and rolled, shrinking back to her normal size. She grinned up at Izanagi and Yu. Her body flickered the same as the Midnight Channel. 

Yu caught his breath and clutched at his chest. The needling pain around his heart gradually faded.

“I just wanted ...to be noticed. I'm tired of being ignored. I wanted the world to love me,” the shadow muttered. “Is that...so wrong?”

Rise cringed in shame. She spoke, tried to tell them the Shadow was right. She knew she always wanted to be the center of attention, and that the world meant nothing if all eyes weren't on her. But that wasn't all she was. She was caring, and thoughtful. Sadly, she had to accept her shadow's claims. Maybe then it would stop trying to kill the people who'd come to rescue her. She curled up against Kanji. 

The Dark Diva sighed happily, closed her eyes, and dissolved into a gray mist. 

A small card appeared over Rise's head for a second before blanketing the paralyzed girl with blue light. She shuddered. 

Without any other threats, Izanagi lowered his sword and faded back into the soul of his person. 

Yu dropped to his knees as he felt his Persona return, then back to rest on his heels. He breathed heavily. His arm hurt like hell, and he was light headed, but he'd used that...thing—his 'Persona,' to deal the final blow. He closed his eyes momentarily. The danger was over....though something still gave him that sense of impending dread. 

His eyes shot open. “Yosuke.”

The fox demon lay on his side, his tail motionless against the ground.

Yu crawled over the short distance to where his friend landed and ran his hand across the others soft ears. Yosuke didn't move. Shadow Rise's beam had forced the young demon back to his natural, small form. Changing of his own free will the first time had been difficult enough. To be forced back must have been too much to bear. She'd stolen his transformation control in an attack meant to suffer Yu the same fate as Chie. 

Yosuke had scarified himself to save his life. 

His stoic resolve shattered. Yu scooped up the little fox demon's limp body –baggy shirt and all—into his arms, moving his left despite the pain. _I told you to run. Why didn't you listen? Why did you come back?_ He tapped one finger against his face. _Wake up, Yosuke_. Yosuke showed no reaction, and Yu couldn't tell if he was breathing or not. His eyes widened. _Oh god... Wake up. WAKE UP!_ He held the small yokai he'd rescued two months ago from a rain-soaked box, and stopped fighting his sorrow. 

Though he could still feel the bond, he was terrified it would vanish, and he would -again- be left alone. Yu brushed his palm over his animal demon's head, and tried the one thing he knew his friend wouldn't like, but it was the only chance he had left. He licked his lips, focusing on the full meaning and power of each word. “I am your Bonded,” he whispered, “You are my animal demon.” Yu let his thumb rest over the little fox's forehead. “I am giving you a direct command...to wake... up.” He tightened his hold to protect him, give him energy, whatever he needed. He had to obey the command. That was the rule of the Bonded and their Animal Demon. He didn't know what he would do if he had to walk through this world alone forever. 

Yu lowered his head. “I'm ordering you,” his voice quivered as hot tears slid down his cheeks despite his efforts to hold them back. “...to stay.”

Naoto walked up behind him, as did the others. Yosuke was already weakened from the battle. Any skill they'd learned before being taken from this world had barely been nurtured. They were both neophytes. If that beam's power was strong enough to incapacitate a healthy, undamaged person, then it's affect could possibly... 

She bit her lip. She didn't even want to complete the thought. 

Yukiko rested a hand on Yu's shoulder. She could feel him shaking, though he made no sound. She knelt down at his right with the little dog demon in her lap. 

Even Kanji –who hadn't known any of these people until this crazy adventure—had to respect this moment. He glanced to the paralyzed Rise in his arms, then to Yu. He could feel her shivering slightly, as though she were crying without the ability to do so. The situation was bad enough as it was. He looked back, about to say something when a blue glow stopped him. “Hey.” 

Yukiko gasped lightly. “Yu...” She gently squeezed his arm. 

Yu only saw the blue light through his closed lids. Curiosity made him open his eyes. He blinked the water away to clear his vision.

A blue card hovered over the fox demon the same as Rise's had done. It pulsed once, then bled its power over his body for a brief moment. Yosuke inhaled deeply as the energy worked to revive him.

Yu didn't know how to react as his heart soared. The bond hadn't disappeared. If anything, it was stronger. 

_Ow_ , Yosuke thought. _My everything_. He turned to look up at Yu's face. Was he crying? Yu never cried for anything. Ever. Not even when someone was cutting up an onion. The universe was off balance. Something horrible must have happened. ...and... he was 15” tall again, but he didn't care. He yipped softly and offered a weak thumbs up with a smirk. 

Yu hugged him, smiling though a faint laugh. “You stupid fox. You never listen.” 

Exhausted, Yosuke rested his head against Yu's shoulder. He yipped softly, telling Yu he was the stupid one for ordering him to leave. There was a loophole in that command: Yu was included in the 'everyone' part.

“Guess I'll have to be more specific next time,” He joked. 

Yosuke thunked his head against Yu in the best 'bad joke, dumbass' move he had the energy for. 

Naoto wiped a tear away, hiding her face under her cap, though she was sure Kanji had seen it. He'd been looking right at her. She glanced up when Yu spoke, though. That whole bit was in their language, and Yu had responded. Their connection had become strong enough that language was no longer a barrier. She would tell her mother everything that happened when they got back. She couldn't wait to explain how they'd rescued Rise, and how they were closer to finding the culprit. 

Movement in the distance caught her eye. She turned her sharp vision to the rooftop of the theater. A dog demon of normal Human height stood against the red and black sky. He was watching them. He stared for a good five seconds, flashed her a grin reserved for scientists who'd received favorable test results, and ducked out of sight. 

Naoto couldn't believe it. That dog demon had one black ear and solid black eyes. It was the third demon in the box. But what was he doing here? Why was he up there, and why did he look at them like that? 

“I think we should get our asses out of here,” Kanji spoke up. “I'm glad the little guy's ok, but more of those things could be here any second. You're pretty wicked with that samurai thing of yours, but you look like crap.” 

Yu got to his feet, carrying the fox demon. Kanji was blunt, but had a point. “Agreed. Let's find a way home. How is she?”

Naoto sighed. She knew this next act meant outing herself completely. In a smooth motion, she removed her hat, exposing her ears, handed it to Kanji, and returned quickly to her natural state in a rush of energy–clothes and all. Unlike Yosuke, she'd had time to perfect the 'change' skill. 

Kanji's eyes widened. “I knew it was you! Haha! I'm not crazy!”

Naoto placed one tiny hand on Yukiko's leg, and rested her other hand against Chie's face. 

Chie blinked through blurry vision as Naoto spoke. Why did the short boy have ears? Her lip quivered. In that moment she spilled everything she remembered to the cat demon. Naoto listened, nodded, then asked her one more question.

It threw the little canine girl off. Sadly, she shook her head from side to side.

Naoto returned to her Human self and took her hat from Kanji—who still grinned in joy that he wasn't bonkers. “She feels ill. She remembers who she is, that she lives in Inaba, and that her parents own a dojo, but she--”

“--Doesn't know what happened to her, and she doesn't know her name,” Yu finished. He'd heard and understood the entire thing. 

Naoto sighed her confirmation. “And I think her condition is deteriorating. She needs help.”

Yukiko drew her hand down the puppy-Chie's soft ears. “Then we tell her. It was already her name, so logically, the one who says it shouldn't be affected.”

“That's a beary good idea if you want to be bound to her.” 

Everyone turned at the new, cheerful, higher pitched male voice. Even Chie was able to lift her head to see who it belonged to. 

A slim boy the same height as Rise strode up to them. His blue eyes sparkled beneath his short, side-swept blond hair, and he wore a ruffled shirt adorned with a single red rose. The wardrobe seemed on the dramatic side, but somehow it worked for him. He moved with confidence and flashed a broad smile. His blue and white round, furry ears twitched. If he had a tail, he was facing them head on so it wasn't visible. Two Human-height animal demons flanked him –one raccoon and a cat, all about his height. They didn't carry weapons, but the energy they emitted was powerful enough to tell anyone they didn't need physical weaponry. 

“She has a name of her own, Short Stack,” Kanji barked. “Why would calling her something she's already called have any kind of risk?”

“Because, my tall, charming, handsome friend,” The chipper boy held up his right index finger, “She's an animal demon now. Just like the last two.” 

“The last two,” Naoto though back to the photos of the previous victims. “Miss Yamano and Saki Konishi. Both had animal demon attributes. They were in a state of partial transformation when they were found.” 

“You mean someone is doing this to people on purpose? That's messed up.” Kanji snarled.

Rise arched an eyebrow at this strange scene. She wished she could move to walk on her own, but at least she had remained awake the whole time. 

“We've been trying to find the guy throwing people in here for days.”

Kanji's lip twitched upward slightly. He felt like he'd been thrown into Tim Burton's version of a stuffed animal claw game. 

Yukiko stood. “Maybe we can talk to they might know a way out. Or they can help Rise and... Ugh. I don't feel well.” She was starting to feel sick from all this fog. 

“That was bear-iffic!” The bear-boy exclaimed, spreading his arms out to the side and spinning on one foot. “The way you used that... thing against that powerful Shadow. What did you call it?”

Yosuke groaned into Yu's jacket. 

Yu faltered, “A...Persona.” He turned in a slow circle. A small group of animal demons had completely surrounded them while they were talking. The tallest stood just slightly shorter than himself, and the smallest pushed a foot in height. “Who are you?”

The boy kept the smile and bowed deeply. It seemed he felt confident in his present company to take his eyes off the newcomers for a moment. “The name's Teddie. Pleased to meet ya!”


	11. 11th Scent: Cursed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chie fell victim to the same weapon used on Saki Konishi and Mayumi Yamano, yet her outcome is completely different. Her world -and everything in it- just got significantly more giant. Yukiko puts everything on the line to keep her from panicking. The result changes both of their lives forever.

11th SCENT: CURSED

\----About an hour after we left off...----

Chie drifted in and out of wakefulness. She could hear her friends talking to someone with a higher pitched male voice, and at one point, her vision cleared enough to see someone with raccoon ears and a tail looking down at her. He had the most beautiful blue eyes. She remembered them clearly because he'd instructed her to not take her eyes off of him. He then said one word: Dia. She didn't care what it meant, as long as he kept looking at her with that crystal-blue gaze. Either it was his amazing charisma, or the word, but she felt better, albeit still tired. She wondered what his name could be. With eyes like those, it had to be related to water somehow. She listened when he turned and looked up to talk to someone out of her line of sight.

"She's stable, but I can't reverse the effects. We don't know what did this, and I don't want to risk attempting to use a revival read without more knowledge of the weapon that hit her."

Chie tilted her head to the side as whoever carried her stood. She must have taken a pretty hard blow from that dark diva if it meant someone had to haul her out of here. That upset her. She was supposed to be the strong one carrying their fallen comrade, not be the fallen comrade.

Her toes wiggled. She'd somehow lost her shoes and socks. How that could have possibly happened was beyond her. Was she really hit that hard? She refused to let this attack get the best of her. Every good fighter knew when it was time to rest so they could regain their strength to keep fighting, and this was one of those times. It wasn't a matter of pride, more than a matter of smarts.

"Take these," she heard the bear boy say again.

"Whoa, I can see. Man, this town is trashed," Kanji said next. “Where'd you pull these out of?”

"I made them!" the boy said pridefully. "They're beary good with seeing through this fog." His tone changed to one more worried. "You guys don't look so good. Staying here isn't healthy for you."

"We need to get out of here now," Naoto's clear, precise voice cut in. "How do we get home?"

"Right this way."

Chie blinked to watch the red and black sky shift overhead. She wanted to be as far away from this place as possible.

"Whoa, whoa, we can't leave until we find the one who did this to her!" Yosuke higher pitched voice demanded, though he was somewhere out of sight to the side.

"If we stay, we won't be of any use. We need to recuperate. Then we'll come back." She'd recognize Yu's voice anywhere.

She rubbed at her eyes to clear them as they walked. Kanji was right about the state of this town. She hadn't been able to see much of it before, though for some reason, she could see pretty well now. It was still foggy, but not nearly as much as it had been. Maybe it was lifting.

A stack of 3 old fashioned TVs with large dials appeared in front of them. The whole group stopped.

"Hurry. There are more Shadows approaching." The bear boy shoved them forward, with help from two others –including the blue-eyed raccoon demon. "Go, before they find you and go bear-zerk."

"You're crazy! We can't all fit through there!" Kanji shot back.

"Time to go, time to go, time to go!" Teddie didn't listen. He continued shoving them toward the TVs.

Chie shut her eyes just as they were pushed into the sets. The whole image flickered, and again, she felt like she was falling. Her stomach churned and she felt nauseous the longer they were in the strange portal. She whimpered and tried to sleep it off. Hopefully this time it was taking her home.

* * * *  
\----Sometime that same day...----

Someone's voice melted through the blanket of slumber, urging her to wake up. It wasn't forceful, but it did remind her of someone trying to tell her she was late for school. She stretched out under a blanket someone had thrown over her, yawned, and fluttered her eyes open.

The first person she saw was Yosuke. His ears twitched. They must be in a safe place if he was openly showing off his true nature. However, there had to be a better sight to wake up to than his goofy face –like that amazing blue-eyed guy from earlier. She groaned. "Are you watching me sleep, you pervert?"

"You're welcome. At least you're still your charming self." He looked up past her and gave a thumbs up to someone.

Naoto sat down next to her. Her tail rested off to the side. "How are you feeling? Do you have any pain? Any discomfort?"

"Just a headache, but I'm fine."

"Good," Yosuke held out both hands. "Ok, as long as you don't freak out."

Naoto reached across Chie and smacked him upside the head. "You imbecile. You don't tell someone not to freak out when you're about to tell them something that will likely make them freak out."

"What are you two talking abo-" She felt something on her head twitch. “-out?”

That wasn't normal.

Chie tentatively placed a hand on her head where two soft bumps protruded. She drew both hands down what felt like ears and pulled. Her eyes widened at the tug against her head. She sat up and planted her hands over where her normal ears should be. It was just hair laid flat over nothing. The blanket crumpled in her lap. "What...what's...?"

"Please try to stay calm," Naoto began, seeing the others chest start to rise and fall quickly. "You'll hyperventilate."

Someone had also put her in an oversized, long-sleeved green shirt, and a pair of yellow shorts. Which meant someone had changed her. Which also meant she'd been naked at one point. Whoever it was had better have been a girl.

Chie glanced to her right where a honey-colored, furry tail lay on the floor. It moved in time to her curious thought. She pulled on it. Her confusion jolted to 'panic' when she realized it was connected to her. She looked frantically from Yosuke's ears and tail to Naoto's repeatedly.

The large blanket was her green jacket. It could easily cover a king sized bed.

"Ah!" She screamed and scrambled backward. Her heart pounded. "What's going on?!"

“It's ok. You're safe,” Yosuke held out both hands. “You're in my house.”

"I promise you're fine," Naoto said. "But you have to calm down and listen."

Chie got to her feet, afraid. The stairs behind the two animal demons were far too wide for normal measurements. Chairs, a side table, and a couch towered around her. She was in the middle of the largest scale living room she'd ever seen. She bumped into something that knocked her off her feet. What she landed on was made of black cotton, and it was warm. It had seen a lot of wear and tear, and it smelled. It had a white stitched stripe across the top. She leaned against the fabric back as Naoto and Yosuke approached her as non-threateningly as they could.

Yukiko walked out of the kitchen, her attention caught by the new commotion. "I got some leftover beef from a dish in the fridge. Steak is her comfort food."

She turned toward her best friend's familiar voice as she rounded the corner. Thank God! Someone who could give her some answers, or shake her out of this nightmare. Her jaw dropped when the other knelt down. She was as tall as a house. "What happened to you?!"

Yukiko blinked curiously and frowned. "What is she saying?"

Chie pressed herself against the back of the warm stinky cloth chair in horror and gripped the fabric. What did Yukiko just say?

"She's scared. Though I can't blame her." Yu crouched down to be more on the level of the little dog demon who'd climbed onto his foot. “She has every reason to be.”

It wasn't the back of a soft seat at all. It was a pair of dark slacks and socks currently covering a foot half her size. Chie looked back, then slowly up at the new voice, stumbled backward, and screamed. Yu was even taller than Yukiko. Someone had turned her friends into giants, and given her a tail and ears. Her eyes couldn't get any bigger if they tried.

Yosuke and Naoto were the only ones of normal height. "You're... you're all... Naoto, you have... Why is everything so huge? What happened to everyone? Why is my jacket the size of a parachute, and why can't I understand anyone?... ... And..." She clutched at her own ears. "WHAT HAPPENED TO ME?!"

"Take it easy, and let me explain." Yosuke tried.

"I will not take it easy, you dork! I'm a foot tall!"

"Fourteen inches, actually." Naoto said before thinking. Which was rare for her. It must be the dramatic tone of the situation that affected her rational thought.

The fox demon slid her a narrow glance. "Not helping."

"F-fourteen inches?" That barely put her above a standard ruler. Chie clenched her tiny fists, and wrapped her arms around herself. "This is a nightmare. I-it has to be a nightmare," her voice trembled. She must still be in that shadow world, or in a coma, because there was no way this could be real. "This can't be real. I gotta wake up!" She took off running out of the living room to the nearest opening: the kitchen.

"Well, that could have gone better," Yosuke remarked.

Naoto elbowed him in the ribs.

He yipped in pain.

She slipped on the tile floor to her hands and knees, scrambled to her feet, and ran for the sliding back door. 

Kanji opened the door, wiping his hands off on a towel after eating a piece of watermelon.

The four of them took off after her. "Catch her before she gets outside." Yu moved to the door to block her escape, but she was too fast and zipped out into the daylight.

Kanji tried to close it, but just missed her tail.

Chie bounded down the steps of the back porch onto the moist grass, and stopped. She stared up at the sky-scraping cherry tree in the yard, and the stone wall separating the Hanamuras' property from the neighbors. There was no way she'd be able to climb either one. Normally she was the stronger one, able to face the creeps at school that bothered her best friend, or take on a bully trying to steal some underclassman's lunch money. Those were situations she felt confident in. The adrenaline of the danger fueled her.

This...she didn't know how to react to this. There was nothing to fight. She was trapped with no foreseeable way out, and she wasn't waking up. Frightened and shaking, she screamed and dropped to her knees. Her tail wrapped around her as she curled into a ball. She had to get through this shock –fight it back until she could think again. She just needed something familiar. She didn't even know her own name. Even her memories were starting to fade. _I am 16. My favorite color is green. My dog's name is Muku. I love Keropi, She fought as the memories continued to grow dim, as though something was pushing them back. I love kung fu, my parents own a dojo. My parents names are... they're... ah! My name is... my name... is... Ah! I am 16. My favorite color is green..._

Yukiko and the others circled her. She knelt down and set the plate of food aside. Seeing her best friend like this made her sick. "Yu, how do we calm her down?"

"I don't know. She thinks she's in a nightmare."

Naoto sat next to Kanji's foot and mewed softly. This sort of situation had never come up before with her and her mother. She could always keep herself in check.

Yukiko's heart broke. There had to be something they could do. She watched her friend cry, knew she had to be overwhelmed and terrified, and the only person who may know what to do didn't have a clue. She thought back to the weeks spent in his house 'training' the fox-boy to become Human. The one he'd always responded to the best was Yu.

She leaned forward and rested her hand on the young dog demon's back. The other tightened up further into her little ball. "Chie, calm down, please. We're you're friends."

"Yukiko, don't." Yu urged.

"I don't care." She turned to her friends. One tear had already slid down her face. "She's my best friend. She's been there for me when no one else in the world bothered. She's the only one who understands me, and she's never ditched me. She'd take my calls in the middle of the night when I needed someone to talk to, and she always protected me. She always looked out for me. I can't bear to see her like this. She already has a name, and I don't care what happens. She needs to know it. If saying it will bring her peace, then so be it." Her hand trembled against the small dog demon's back, more from the serious emotion of trying to help one of the most important people in her life. She grit her teeth. "Her name is Chie. Chie Satonaka."

A hush fell over the backyard.

Yu sat down next to her and rested a hand on her shoulder. He knew what she had just done, though he was sure she didn't understand it. "Try to calm down, Yukiko. Focus on Chie as you do. If I'm right, it'll help both of you."

She nodded. She needed to get a hold of herself, if only to not make the situation worse.

Chie stopped shaking as something inside her changed. It washed the fear away. She slowly uncurled to look up at Yukiko and blinked. She hadn't even been paying attention to what everyone was saying—she'd been covering her ears, but for some reason, she'd heard her name, and she knew it was hers. She sniffled and shifted to sit cross-legged on the grass. The panic was gradually disappearing, though it was replaced with shame. She'd acted like a complete crazy idiot in front of everyone. Regardless of her predicament, she should have better control over herself than that.

"I don't get it," Kanji broke the too-intense silence. "Why would calling her by her own name be a big deal?"

Naoto used her 'change' skill to return to Human form in a couple of seconds. "Because," she watched the slim, black-haired girl lift the dog demon onto her lap, "Chie's been somehow transformed into one of us. The one who gives an animal demon a name becomes bound soul to soul to that demon forever. For each of them, the other is 'home.'

A spiky ball dropped into the pit of Kanji's stomach. He thought of the day Mrs. Shirogane had told him his payment for being saved from a night in the local jail was to name the little cat-creature who'd caught the real criminal. He slid a glance down at Naoto, who continued to watch the scene in the backyard, and looked away. "So, what happens if they don't ever see that person?"

"They'd both feel incomplete, spending their lives searching for the other, and living a miserable existence without ever being able to fill that void. Their sleep cycles, social interactions, and eating habits would be affected. If they do find each other, I'd imagine being unwillingly separated would feel like being slowly cut in half by a dull blade. It would be a waking hell." She glanced up to him. 

"How do you know all this?"

"When I first came to Inaba, my mother issued a challenge to the detectives to discover what I was using an extra paid vacation day as a carrot. Consequently, everyone went into high research mode, including me."

"Who won?"

"Detective Dojima. He said he had a stroke of inspiration." Personally, she knew it was because Yosuke had become part of his household by the time Ryotaro walked into the chief's office with a folder of sufficient evidence to prove she was an animal demon - a yokai.

Kanji kept his mouth shut after that. Mrs. Shirogane had suggested the name. He'd accepted the suggestion and given it to the cat-demon seconds before he'd left the police station. 

He had named Naoto Shirogane.

"You're sweating. Are you all right?" Naoto asked bluntly.

He wiped at his face. "Eh. Yeah... Just the sun." He turned to walk back inside. "I'm going to check on that girl to see if she's awake yet. This is getting too pansy-ass for me out here."

 

Naoto smirked. Typical Kanji. She tipped her hat down and walked back into the house. Other people were spending their time worrying over Chie's situation, so there was no need for her to join that party. She wasn't insensitive. On the contrary, she was very concerned. Anything that could change a Human into one of her kind was dangerous. Animal demons weren't 'born' in the traditional Human sense. If she and the two she came here with had been allowed to stay in that world –if it hadn't been corrupted—she had a feeling they would have been told everything. They needed to get back to that world soon to find the culprit, return Chie to normal, and answer some of her own questions as well.

Everyone in this house was a friend of hers. She owed it to them to stay level headed to solve this puzzle.

Yukiko picked up Chie—who cringed at the distance to the ground far below—and carried her with the food back inside the house. She set both on top of the table. "She seems ok now."

“I thought that might work. It usually does with Yosuke.” It also confirmed Yu's idea: that those two now shared a similar connection as himself and the fox.

Chie was so ashamed, she couldn't look anyone in the eye. She grabbed a slice of beef from the plate in both hands, sat down, and ate, staring at her bare feet the whole time. Only when Yosuke hopped up onto the table to snag a piece of meat did she launch from her spot to smack his hand away.

This was his food first! She should at least share. He glared at her.

"Yosuke, let her have it." Yu pulled up a chair and set a cookie on the table. He'd grabbed it when they walked back in to munch on it, but this seemed like a better use for the home made chocolate chip delight. He knew the demon understood how important it was to handle their new problem with kid gloves, but when it came down to it –for all they knew—he was still only two months old. Actually, no one knew how old Naoto and Yosuke actually were, since the two couldn't remember much of their past. It was as if the memory had been buried.

The small fox demon grumped, but nodded and sat down with the giant cookie in his lap to nibble. He watched Chie-dog-demon tear into her slice of beef, and swallowed his bite of cookie. "You know, it's not that bad. You kind of over reacted."

She glared at him over the meat.

"I mean," he tried to cover. He shut up. He was just making it worse.

"What are we going to do?" Yukiko leaned against the counter. "We have to go back to the TV world and find the guy who did this."

"Yeah, but we have nothing to go on." Kanji walked down the stairs into the kitchen.

Naoto's tail flicked lightly when he came back. "Actually, we have one lead." She noted the entirety of the kitchen's occupants stared at her, though Yosuke continued to eat even as he turned his attention to her. "The first time we all watched the Midnight Channel, I was here. I'd only managed to see it because of the rain that night."

An amused 'huh' left Kanji. "You're a cat demon who's afraid of water? Way to fall into a stereotype."

"As I was saying," she shot a pointed stare at the taller boy, though didn't feel like she wanted to cause him harm, "I'd originally come over to ask him what he remembered about the Red World and the box that brought us here; Specifically the fact that there was a third animal demon with us."

Yu's eyes widened slightly. "A third?"

"A dog demon with one black ear and solid black eyes. I saw him on top of the theater watching us. I'd know his face if I saw him again."

He looked to Yosuke, who just shrugged and yipped back a response. He listened. "Ah. I see." He got up to get a glass of water.

"What did the little furball say, and why isn't he normal height, or speaking a language we understand?" Kanji downed a couple of cookies from the plate Yu took his from.

"He said," Yu set the glass down so both animal demons could drink from it. "He doesn't remember anyone else, and if he had, he would have said something. He's also translating for Chie. She can't understand what we're saying. As for height," He glanced to the small fox demon, who pushed the glass across the table to Chie, then stepped aside. She tipped the glass and gulped down the water. "He tried, but that beam ...froze... his skill. He can't change back. The raccoon said it would return soon, though."

"Dude," Kanji glanced to Naoto, the two animal demons on the table, and Yu, "You're like the 'Demon Whisperer,' or something."

Yukiko frowned and stood straight. "She...can't understand us anymore? She forgot her own language?" She leaned on the table with her chin resting on her hands.

Chie didn't need to comprehend any words to know her friend was worried. She rested her hand on Yukiko's arm and offered a small smile, trying to tell her everything would be ok. Don't stress.

"I don't think she forgot. It must still be there," Naoto said, snagging a cookie out of Kanji's hand. He growled, but let her be. "If she's a pure animal demon now, she'll only understand our language until she learns yours. But, because of the fact that you chose to name her, that connection may quicken her ability to learn."

"Yosuke picked it up within weeks, though the first couple of weeks were...interesting. And he still has problems." Yu said.

Chie looked her friend in the eye, focused on the few words she was able to pick out, and concentrated on forming letters and sounds she knew were once familiar, but seemed to be hiding. "Yu..ki...ko."

Even as the victim, Chie was still trying to be the strong one. Yukiko smiled and draped her hand down the little demon's soft ears.

Chie was frightened, but if she trusted anyone, it was Yukiko Amagi.

"I saw someone the day before school," Yosuke said, facing everyone with the half-finished cookie in his hand. They were accustomed to hearing him speak to them in yips, barks, and sounds while in this form. None had ever heard him speak anything but a few words a time outside of his Human height. "At Junes. A weird kid with a yellow shirt and freaky black eyes was one of the last in the electronics department. He said I was like him, and that he could 'see,' -whatever that means."

"And you didn't bother telling us before?!" Kanji clenched a fist. The little demon's adorable appearance was the only thing saving him from being snatched off the table.

"I didn't think it was important at the time." Yosuke stared him up.

"You little-" He stopped at someone's touch against his arm. He glanced down in time to see Naoto slipped her hand away. Oddly, he felt a little more calm, though still angry at the stupid little fox. He blinked curiously down at her, though she never turned her eyes to him. Did she know and just wasn't telling him?

Yu unclenched his left fist around the fabric of his pants when Kanji backed down. His face betrayed no emotional change, though he would have been over that table in a heartbeat. The tall first year student was still new to the group, and had already displayed violent tendencies. At this point, there was no telling how far he would go in reacting to his anger. Their friendship was still very new. He looked calmly to the fox-boy. "Do you know who he was?"

Yosuke shook his head from side to side.

"If he is the third," Naoto began, "then we can find him."

They all heard a gasp at the base of the stairs. Yosuke stopped in mid chew halfway through the cookie. His tail flicked when Rise stepped into the kitchen.

Rise rubbed at her eyes. She thought she was seeing things again. Two children—or animals, or...whatever they were—stood on the table around a plate and a glass of water. The little puppy in the oversized green shirt cocked her head to the side curiously at her.

"You're up," Yu said casually.

"How are you feeling, Rise?" Yukiko asked.

Rise nodded. "I'm fine..." She couldn't take her eyes off the two animal demons, and the Human sized Naoto still allowing her tail to be visible. For a moment, she had to stare out the kitchen window to assure herself she wasn't still in the TV world. "I'd thought that whole ordeal was a nightmare, but they're here. Then that means the card I saw was real, too."

They'd all witnessed a blue tarot card appear over Rise after she accepted her shadow, and watched it dissolve over her.

Something within her was altered at that moment, though she didn't know how to voice it. Only that she felt stronger, and more capable. These were the people who'd helped her, and she somehow knew she could trust them.

"I saw the same thing," Yu said. "I think it has something to do with a Persona."

"A Persona?" She mused.

"That thing you used to beat down her evil twin?" Kanji had to admire that kind of power. Yu commanded it with nothing but his presence. He reached for another cookie, though the plate had disappeared.

Naoto leaned against the counter with her feet crossed at the ankles, holding the plate and munching on the baked goodness.

Yosuke whined. Why did he have to miss the cool epic fight?

Her smile widened when Yosuke couldn't take the silent staring any longer and continued eating the cookie. "Ah! They're so cute!" She leaned on the table and grinned. "They're like little kids, but...like adorable animals. What are they?"

Yosuke smiled back. Yup, Rise was still hot.

Chie rolled her eyes and dumped the remaining water over his head.

He stiffed at the drastic, sudden cold shower and shifted an equally icy stare at the dog demon. Water dripped from the tips of his drooping ears and soggy tail. Fortunately, he'd saved the cookie by holding it out at arms length.

She laughed.

Naoto smiled despite herself at the wordless 'down, boy,' act from little Chie. "Animal Demons. Chie was turned into one. We're going to find out who did it and change her back."

Rise's grin remained. The little demons looked like normal Humans, but with ears and tails. "Are all animal demons the same size? You know... little?"

"I wouldn't-," she shrugged.

Her eyes glimmered with delight. "Because I would love to find one that fits in my purse."

Both Naoto and Yosuke shouted back, "We are not accessories!"

Yosuke shook himself dry, though Yukiko got to his tail with a napkin soon after. His fur fluffed out. That did not help their case in this instance.

Naoto sighed. "I'll get my mom to clear checking the security footage at Junes in that area on that day and see if we come up with anything." She started for the door.

Kanji paused, clenched his fists, but went after her. "Naoto." He stopped when she turned her eyes up to him. "I...should go with you if you find anything. He might be dangerous. I'm good at handling punks like him." In truth, he didn't want to see her get hurt should she go looking for this dog demon on her own. The idea that anyone would even consider harming her upset him.

She smiled. "Thank you." She'd never voice it, but a tug she couldn't identify urged her to accept, and she knew she'd feel better if he was with her, even though she'd intended to take Yu and Yosuke along as extra eyes.

Naoto left the house with her task in hand and headed home to the police station to begin work. She didn't want to leave, but she had to. She had a job to do.

"What are we going to do until we can go back to that world? We have school on Monday, and Chie's parents don't know what happened." Yukiko looked to the others for an answer.

"Can't she change like Naoto?" Kanji asked, walking back into the kitchen. He was curious to feel a little sad when the cat demon left.

Yu looked down to her. "I don't know. Since she is an animal demon, she should be able to."

Yosuke turned to her and tapped her on the shoulder.

Yukiko watched as he explained something to Chie quickly, using hand gestures while her friend nodded through ever other sentence.

Chie set her resolve, scooted her foot back on the table, and closed her eyes, focusing on becoming taller. Being this small unnerved her. She just wanted to be her normal height again. A spark of power flared in her chest, and it became her world. She scrunched her eyes tightly. _I want to be normal_ , she thought. _Think tall. Think tall_. The power swirled around her like an icy breeze. It pulled from every part of her—her core, her legs, her arms, her head and neck, her ears and tail. She trembled at the effort to hold on.

It became too much, and she fell over backwards against something soft, but kept her eyes shut. Please let it work. Please let it work. When she opened them, she saw that Yukiko's giant hand had cushioned her fall. She growled in frustration –actually growled. Now, she was tired, too. She cursed her ill strength.

Yosuke shook his head. "I don't blame you. The change skill really sucked the first time I had to do it." He'd transformed once and never did it again until he was forced to. "It steals your energy, makes everything you see all weird, it's uncomfortable, and it makes you feel like you haven't eaten in days. I don't know how Naoto can be so free with it." He'd cleaned out the refrigerator once he'd awakened. However, getting from his room upstairs to the kitchen was interesting. He'd kept bumping into things, knocking stuff over, and tripping. Everything was too low to the ground, and too close together. It took him a couple of days to get used to the world from a line of sight near level with Yu's.

"What are you going to do about school?" Rise asked.

The four of them thought on it. Yukiko snapped her fingers. "I'll call her mom and say she's staying with me Saturday and Sunday night saying we need to study hard for a new upcoming test. She always stays over, so it won't be a big deal. I'll take her to school just like when Yu brought Yosuke.”

Chie arched a floppy ear when Yosuke translated. In her bag? No way! Why couldn't she just stay at the inn and work on changing back to her normal height?

"Because," Yu picked her up. "Why should we suffer alone?"

Chie's energy drained even further. She didn't need to understand him to pick up the meaning in his tone. They would be so cruel as to subject her to King Moron's idiocy. She glanced down past her feet to the floor meters below her –he was standing, and towered much higher than Yukiko—then to his face, and spoke her mind.

Yu blinked at the rant that circled him. He was trapped in a vortex of seamlessly connected sentences. He finally shook his head from side to side and set her back down on the table top.

"What did she say?" Yukiko asked.

"She wanted to know if I was the one who changed her clothes. I said no. The rest, I won't repeat out loud."

"Whine all you want, Chie, you can't skip school," Yosuke smirked, folding his arms.

"Exactly. That's why you're coming, too."

The fox demon's jaw dropped. He argued back that it was cruelty to animal demons, and that this was his house.

"Not being able to change doesn't give you a free pass. And your parents are coming home Monday night."

He paused, slumped his shoulders, and hung his head. Damn. Yu was right. He'd forgotten about that. Both he and Chie needed to work on changing back or both of them would be in serious trouble. If they were here, his mom would be understanding, however angry. He'd been forbidden to change, and he wanted to avoid the wrath of Mom.

Rise checked her watch. "Oh, I have to go. My grandmother's expecting me home. I have to explain why I wasn't home yesterday." She groaned. "I'm not looking forward to that. I'll see you guys tomorrow. Let's meet at the park, ok?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Kanji sent Naoto a text to update her on the location. "I gotta split, guys. See you tomorrow." And he followed Rise out. However, sleep was the last thing he intended to do once night fell. The animal demons had given him an idea, and the creative artist within him needed to act on it as soon as possible. If his idea for small knitted animal keychains sold, he could make a little extra money for the shop, and have an excuse to legitimately make something cute.

Yukiko turned to face Yu right behind her. There were a number of questions she had for him that remained silent throughout the conversation. However, now, she felt like she could at least ask one. "What's really involved in a bond with an animal demon? I've watched you two over the past month, but it's hard to tell just what to expect. If anything happens at all. I mean, she was Human to start with."

Yu shrugged. “At times, it seems like I'm a pet owner. Others, like Yosuke and I couldn't be better friends.” And yet when he'd thought he'd lost the little fox demon after the battle, he'd become recognizable as a part of himself—a part he didn't want to lose. He cared about him, no matter how annoying he could be. That fox simply needed to be here for things to feel O.K. Even if they didn't speak and just did their own thing, being in the same room was enough. “I think the best way to describe it would be..." he paused, "Kizuna. I don't know how to explain it. You'll find out for yourself."

Yukiko exhaled heavily and stood. She kept the little dog demon in her arms and moved to the door. "Are you heading home, too?"

"Yeah," He handed her Chie's jacket, then glanced back at the kitchen as Yosuke jumped off the table. He opened the door to follow her, though didn't get beyond the threshold. "Actually, I'll see you tomorrow, ok?"

She understood. Yukiko left the Hanamura residence and walked down the street with the dog demon in her arms.

Chie glanced back, waved to Yu, and barked lightly.

Yosuke had moved to the living room to watch them talk, and sighed when Yu slipped on his shoes. He walked over the TV and carried over his PS2 controller after pushing the button to power up the console. He sat with the controller in front of him on the floor and scrolled through to a new game, selected it, and waited for his saved information to load. If he was going to be alone in the house tonight, he would play this game until his eyes bled and he couldn't keep them open anymore.

He looked up when Yu sat down next to him, shoes off, and picked up the second controller.

Yu selected his character mode on the screen of a lone-wolf style high school kid. "So, are we still having Game Night, or what?"

The fox's tail wagged happily as he pressed his palm down on the X button to select his: A 2 player mode. "An ax? You're really outfitting your guy with that?

"I'm getting the swords this time."

"I'll bury your kill count with my vibro blades."

"Just keep telling yourself that."

“Why do you always get to be the hero...protag guy?”

“Because reasons.”

“Not fair.”

“You're the comic relief. It's what you do best.” 

"Oh yeah? Then... this monster better prepare to eat my energy wave."

"Good luck. I own this fight. Your hands are too small to combo attack."

"You just keep telling yourself that." Yosuke grinned.

“You're going to button-mash your way through this, aren't you.”

“It's how I usually kick your sorry butt.”

The two played the battle rpg game, "Sees," as the sun set, and the stars blanketed the clear night sky.


	12. 12th Scent: The Amagi Inn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chie gets into trouble at the Amagi Inn when her habitual midnight snack raid lands her in hot water with the head chef. Yukiko begins to learn the details of a bond with an animal demon as she teaches Chie to speak their language again.

12th SCENT: THE AMAGI INN

\----The Amagi Inn...----

Tourist Season officially kicked off in a couple of weeks, so for the time being, the old inn contained a smattering of guests. Yukiko quietly opened the front door and peeked inside. Someone on the phone occupied her mother's attention, so she took that opportunity to sneak as quietly as possible past the front desk. She'd managed to edge her way to the hallway. A few more steps, and she would be home free.

“Yukiko?” Her mother hung up the phone. 

Yukiko froze, cringed, and turned. “Yes, mother?” She bowed lightly. 

“Where have you been?” Mrs. Amagi folded her arms into her kimono.

The tall girl attempted to hide her school bag behind her back. “Just out with some friends. I'm back before my curfew.”

Chie sniffed the air. She'd recognize the smell of the fresh flowers of the Amagi Inn anywhere. Curious, she tried to peek her head up to see what was going on. She spotted Mrs. Amagi and stuck her hand out to wave, but Yukiko pressed down the top of the bag to shove her back inside. Chie yelped.

“What was that?”

“Nothing, mom. Just...cramps.” She hugged the bag and ran down the hall to her room. 

“Don't forget we have that wedding party arriving tomorrow night from the city,” she called after her daughter. “Be on your best behavior!” 

“I will!” Yukiko rushed into her room and shut the door. She panted. “That was close.” She moved over to set the bag on the bed and opened the top. “I'm sorry I did that, but--”

She was cut off by a string of strange words and yips and barks from the little dog demon as Chie flailed her arms in disgust from on top of the bag. Yukiko sighed, defeated. Somehow, Yu had reached a level of his bond with Yosuke that let him understand the fox demon's speech. If she and her friend were now linked in the same way, she hoped they'd get to that point, too. And soon. It was frustrating not being able to understand her childhood best friend. “I'm sorry about that, but you know my mom. I'm not allowed to have any pets.”

Chie narrowed her eyes and folded her arms. She picked out two words from that entire sentence. 'mom' and 'pets.' It wasn't even the end of her first day as an animal demon, and she was already picking up her old language again. She was both happy and nervous at the same time. What else about her was going to change? 

“I know you're not a pet, but you do have ears and a tail now. And you're incredibly little. If someone sees you, that's the first thing they're going to think.” Yukiko gently scratched one of Chie's soft, floppy, blonde-furred ears. 

The other sighed in resignation. As much as she hated to admit it, Yukiko probably had a point. She knew the Amagis well enough to know that their daughter was banned from owning any kind of pet with fur. The rule was in place more to protect any guests with allergies rather than a strict motion against their child for the sake of control. Chie knew in her mind that she wasn't an animal, but that wouldn't matter to anyone who decided to be phone-trigger happy and call animal control. 

Yukiko put her things away. “I'll be right back,” she held up one finger in a 'one moment' motion, and left the room. She hurried to the kitchen, slipped through the door, and grabbed a curry pan from a steaming fresh plate. 

The chef –an older woman with her hair tied up in a bun—greeted her. 

“Evening, Hoshi,” Yukiko grabbed a second one deftly as she ate the pan, and grabbed another behind her back. She turned, hiding the food, and ran out. 

Hoshi blinked curiously at the girl's unusual behavior.

Yukiko quickly made it back to her room with the pilfered treat. She set the food down in front of Chie once she could breath easy in private. She then set a notebook and a pencil on the floor and wrote a simple sentence. “We need to get you understanding your own language again soon, so lets go over some basics,” she said as Chie jumped to the floor, landed in a roll, and flopped near the opened notebook. 

Chie looked to the book as she ate, then up to her best friend, and stood. She pushed the sleeves up to her elbows on the long green shirt. The faster she learned this, the more quickly she could return to normal. 

“Oh, I hope you don't mind. Your clothes didn't change with you, so I borrowed some of Yosuke's. It's all we had.” 

That's why this outfit looked familiar. The V neck should have been a dead give-away. It used to adorn a stuffed bunny that Nanako gave the little fox demon a few weeks ago. His first wardrobe came from medium sized plushy toys. She sniffed her shirt. It had been washed, but it still smelled like that fox demon. She rolled her eyes, but dealt with it. What else could she do? 

Yukiko tied her hair back into a pony tail and made it her mission for the next hour to be a teacher. Most of the time, she received blank expressions from Chie, usually followed by sounds of frustration. The little dog demon tried to recreate the sounds, and to understand their meaning. After the hour, she'd noticed her friend had stopped paying attention, and had her eyes glued to the window outside where it was raining. It wasn't a thunderstorm. Just a light drizzle that recently blew in. “Yeah, I think you're right, Chie. That's good for tonight. Please nod if you knew what I just said.”

Chie looked back at the sound of her name and went through what she'd heard. She caught the jist of the statement. As long as they were done for the night, she didn't care. She pointed to the clock, then to the small t.v. In the room. It hadn't reached midnight yet, but since it was raining, she wanted to see if the person who did this to her –or anyone else—showed up on the screen. Chie yipped her quick explanation. Rise had found Saki's body, and was then sent to that world by someone. But since they'd rescued her, she'd escaped becoming the channel's next victim. Hopefully, they'd stopped the pattern.

_Pi pi pi. Pi pi pi._ Yukiko sat on her futon to check the new message from Yu.

[Everything ok?]

She texted back as Chie ran around the room. [Yes. It's weird, but we're fine.] They shared a few more texts while she watched Chie try to use the change skill three times. By the third attempt, the dog demon was on her back panting. She set the phone down. “Chie, if you try too hard, you won't have enough energy.” She set a pillow on the floor and moved the exhausted demon onto it. 

Chie sank into the puffy softness. She tried to tell her friend that she had to change soon, or she feared she'd lose her memories. Yukiko showed her concern by offering a comforting smile before she left to shower off the day. Her tail curled around her as she tried to sleep it off. Maybe she'd think more clearly with a good nights sleep. 

She woke up mere moments later from hunger pangs. Trying to use the change skill so many times in a row so soon after becoming an animal demon must have completely taxed her energy. The fact that all those stories lied about animal demons being spirits irritated her. She still needed food. Thankfully, she knew just where to find a late night snack. 

Chie walked across the large room to the door and pushed it open a tiny crack to see out into the hallway. Her head stuck out just enough to look both ways for any guests, or Yukiko's parents. The hall was blessedly empty. She'd spent enough time here to know her way around the inn, and she knew exactly how to get to her goal. The distance between points A and B were a lot farther than she remembered, but she took the hall quickly, staying close to the wall just in case anyone made a surprise appearance around any corners. She sniffed the air automatically. Curious about her own action, she tried again and studied the scents on the air. Once focused on it, everything became more powerful: the wooden floor, the doors, the musky dirt from the moisture rich plants, the people in the closed rooms, and especially the kitchen. She wondered how Yosuke and Naoto could handle so much information at once. 

A potted cluster of bamboo made for the perfect hiding spot. She took a deep breath, and focused on her goal: the kitchen. As soon as her mind changed, so did her perception, and the rest of the smells faded to the background. She waited for a customer to shuffle by in their slippers and nemaki before taking off toward the kitchen at full running speed –on two legs, of course. 

Her ears perked up as soon as she slid through the door. The kitchen of the Amagi Inn stretched out with a maze of tables as high as buses. Stools clustered around each one. A stove with pots, pans, and dishes piled on the counter, and a few plates of food still sat out for night-owl customers to pick from. 

The tantalizing aroma of freshly made curry pan drifted their seductive fingers to her nose and made her stomach grumble. Smallness be damned! Those leftovers would be hers.

She scampered over to the table, eyed a stool, judged the distance carefully, and crouched down. She'd watched Yosuke leap up onto a chair enough times that it only seemed logical she could do the same. Taking a gamble, she put all her energy into her legs, pressed her palms against the ground, and leaped as high as she could. She caught the edge of the stool and pulled herself up. If only her parents could have seen that. She was proud of herself and thrilled. From there, it was an easy leap onto the table harboring the steamy delights. Her eyes sparkled. She could identify the spices in the curry, the seasoned beef, and the buttery give of the bread shell. Chie tucked two of the stuffed bread balls into her arms, and bit into the closest one. The taste was overwhelming. She couldn't think of a down side to this in any way. 

Her ears twitched at movement behind her. 

That down side presented itself in the form of the Amagi Inn's head chef stomping across the kitchen with a soup pot in hand to trap the animal on the table. “Hey! Get out of there!”

Chie quickly downed the rest of the pan she'd already taken a bite of, sank her k9s into another, and jumped back to the chair. The pot narrowly missed her tail. Risking it, she jumped to the floor and rolled, still clutching her prizes. She shifted both curry pan balls to her left arm and grabbed the top of a melon soda from a case on a bottom shelf. What was dinner without something to wash it down with? 

She quickly dodged the chef's grasping hands with sharp zigzags under the tables, and out into the dining area. Fortunately, no one was there right now. The little dog demon scrambled under tables, kicked up sitting pillows, and lead the chef on a hasty chase around the room. Admittedly, she was having fun. She knew this chef –Hoshi Takeyama—and knew her cooking was beyond spectacular, so raiding the kitchen seemed a viable risk; no matter how little and strange-looking Chie had become. 

Finally, an opportunity to bolt to the door shone in the dimly lit room. She dashed toward it, glancing back in victory at escaping Chef Hoshi. 

The Amagi Inn's head chef wasn't going to be defeated so easily by an animal stealing food from her kitchen. She stormed down the hall after the tiny thief. 

Chie dropped the melon soda. It was fun playing keep-away, but at this point she needed to sacrifice something for speed, so the tasty drink was abandoned to the middle of the hall. She ate one of the curry pan quickly, carrying the last one. Yukiko's room wasn't too far ahead. All she had to do was make it past the indoor hot springs, the stairs, and around the corner to the end of the inn, then up a flight of stairs. Yukiko's room was on the second floor, which made for a beautiful view of Inaba in any season. Normally, she thought it was pretty, but now she hated it, because that meant climbing her new nemesis: Stairs. 

She cut sharply around a corner right into the legs of a customer out for a late night soak in the springs. Chie tried to get out of his way, but he was also scrambling to not step on her. She veered in the only direction she could: the entrance to the hot springs. The man had left the door partially open, so she barreled through without thinking. All she knew what that she had to get away from Hoshi. If she took her away from Yukiko, she'd go straight to animal control, and from there, who knew? The pound? A lab somewhere to be studied? She didn't know how to be an animal demon, and her Human memories were fading fast. The idea of being away from Yukiko shot fear and need through her body. She didn't want to be away from her. Not ever. She didn't want to experience the pain of separation she had watched Yu and Yosuke go through. 

Her tiny bare feet hit the slick rock flooring around the pool and she slipped fast in a spin. The speed she'd been running at sent her rocketing across the wet floor. The curry pan flew from her hands as she struggled to grip anything solid to stop herself. The stolen food rolled harmlessly away, though Chie launched right off the edge into the hot springs. 

She hit the water with a splash. Her head broke the surface in a gasping breath. She knew how to swim, but she was never that good at it even as a Human. She was a dog demon now, so dog paddling should be a piece of cake. Chie kicked, pumped her arms, and swished her tail, but it kept her barely above the warm surface. Apparently, being a dog demon didn't automatically give her the power of Olympic swimming skills. Steam rose around her from the water regardless of her frantic splashing. She cried out. Someone had to hear the noise she was making even if they couldn't understand her. Right now, she was alone. 

Her head dipped under. She held her breath and clawed for the surface. The golden lamp lights shimmered above her, mocking her with the breeze they swayed in. It couldn't end like this! She couldn't drown! She'd learned how to swim as a little girl, so why were her legs and arms disobeying her thoughts? Swim! She thought. Her lungs burned for air. Her limbs pumped harder as a freezing fear shocked through her. The water had suddenly grown very cold. 

She heard a muffled splash. Two large hands grasped around her to pull her from the water. She wasn't going to die by drowning, she was going to be sent to a lab to be studied somewhere. 

Yukiko lay the small dog demon on the side of the pool and hauled herself out. “Chie? Chie!” She tapped on her back. 

Chie coughed hard, sputtering up water and rolled onto her side. Air! Sweet, sweet air! Her ears lay flat against her head, and her sopping wet clothes clung to her little body. She panted hard both in joy at surviving, and in relief that it was Yukiko who'd found her and not the angry chef. She began shivering from the cold night air. 

Yukiko removed the wet clothes quickly and wrapped her in a warm, dry towel. “You're a terrible swimmer, you know that. Why would you come into the hot springs? You could have drowned.” 

The words were hard to pick out, but reading the meaning between them was easy enough. She worried too much, and Chie tried to tell her so within coughs and annoyed sounds. How did she even know she was here in the first place?

Yukiko had been on her way back from her shower, though wasn't able to shake the sense that something was wrong. It was enough to keep her from relaxing. Only when she'd come close to the doors of the indoor hot springs did that sense surge like someone dropped an ice cube down the back of her shirt. She'd simply run into the springs without thinking, saw the tiny splashes beneath the steam blanketing the water, and jumped in –clothes and all. She wasn't prepared for the frigid temperature beneath that steam. Something around Chie had chilled the water in that spot alone. 

Maybe that sense of dread was part of what Yu had meant when he'd said she'd find out about an animal demon bond for herself. She glanced over to the soggy curry pan on the ground and sighed in understanding. Chie had been to the kitchen for a late night snack, as was her habitual behavior. That explained why she'd left the room, but not why Yukiko knew her friend had side tracked to the springs. 

Chie sneezed three times.

A shadow loomed over the two.

Yukiko quickly scooped up the bundle of cloth, even though she, herself, was dripping wet in her night gown, and clutched the dog demon close for protection. “I'm sorry. Please don't take her.”

Hoshi draped a clean towel over Yukiko's bare shoulders. “You can't have pets, Yukiko. You know the rules.”

“I know.” The teenager pulled the towel around herself and the dog demon, trying to warm up. Her first concern was Chie. Her friend was still shivering. 

Hoshi shook her head. “That animal stole food from our guests' plate. I'll have to scrap the whole batch now. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to tell your mother.”

“Wait!” Yukiko's bare feet slapped against the stone floor as she ran to block her path to the hall, and thus, to her mother. “She's not an animal.”

“It has ears and a tail, and K9s. It may have been wearing clothing before, but it's still an animal. Move.” She tried to push past the girl.

Yukiko held her ground. “You don't understand. It's Chie.”

Hoshi folded her arms. “Naming something after your dear friend isn't going to protect it.”

“But it is her. Look.” Yukiko unwrapped enough of the cloth to show Chie's head.

The little dog demon blinked, then tried to explained herself. Her words were cut off by Hoshi, who could only hear yips and barks. 

“How could this possibly be miss Satonaka?”

Yukiko took a deep breath. “You'll have to trust me. I promise you. I am not lying. You've known Chie as long as I have. Look at her closely.”

Hoshi leaned forward for a better look. The dog demon's blond furry ears twitched, and she blinked big brown eyes. The older cook reached out, paused, and flattened her hand against the small demon's head. 

Chie let out a small pleading sound. Her small hand reached up to touch Hoshi's. 

The older woman turned her palm up so the dog demon's hand rested on the side of her right index finger. The animal girl was shivering, but the spark in her brown eyes was clearly unmistakable. 

Hoshi's eyebrows arched. She gasped lightly. “Chie? ...That's impossible. How?”

The slim girl exhaled. “It's a complicated story.”

“I'm eager to hear it. Go dry off, get changed, and come warm up in the kitchen.”

Yukiko bowed, though nervous, and left the springs. She would have to be as convincing as possible to keep their old family friend from ratting them out. If there was a new bond forming between herself and her best friend as a dog demon, then she had an idea of what to expect if they were unwillingly separated. She remembered how Yu had acted when he'd been forced to hand his fox demon over to the care of the Hanamuras. He'd been distant, sometimes looked like he was in pain, always tired, hardly ate, and couldn't completely focus on anything or anyone. They hadn't connected the dots about his behavior, and Yosuke's until Mrs. Hanamura disclosed everything she'd learned a few days later to the three of them. 

The fox demon had only been living at the Dojima home for a week before he was adopted, and the bond between the two was already strong by that point. 

Chie and Yukiko had been friends since early grade school. They already shared each others lives to a degree. She didn't know what would happen now, or if the strength of the bond would be on the same level. She was truly scared. 

She found a skirt and top from one of her childhood toys for Chie to change into, dressed in warmer nightwear, and cautiously returned to the kitchen. When she entered, Hoshi had set up three cups on a back table where the staff would eat during the day. 

“Now,” Hoshi poured hot tea into the cups. Steam drifted upwards from each one. “Explain.”

Yukiko took a deep breath. She didn't know how to tell her they'd fallen into a television set at Junes by accident, and wound up in a frightening world with monsters and Shadows, so she decided to skip that part for now. “Chie saved me from becoming like this. Someone turned her into an animal demon, and my friends and I are trying to find a way to change her back. We don't know if there's a time limit, or if it's already too late.”

Hoshi lifted one of Chie's ears with two fingers. “Amazing. Never in my life did I think animal demons were real.” She'd heard stories since childhood –as most people did—but they were ancient myths, and ones she barely paid attention to. 

Chie blew on the hot liquid, knelt down and leaned over as she tilted the cup forward to take a sip. It helped to warm her up. She couldn't understand how she'd become so cold after falling into a hot spring. The word 'hot' was in the title, after all. 

“I've seen Chie in here plenty of times before for a midnight snack. She is allowed because of who she is. But this little one knew what she wanted and where to get it –exactly like your friend.”

Chie pursed her lips, focusing on the words she'd tried to learn that night, and repeated a few as best she could. The feel of the sounds was odd in her mouth, but not as difficult as it had been before. “Got..... hun..gry. S-sorry.”

Hoshi leaned back away from the table. “My word...”

“She's re-learning how to speak.” Yukiko sipped at the warm tea. “Do you know anything about animal demons?”

“Only what most everyone else knows. They were extensions of the Gods who claimed them. Izanagi and Izanami commanded hundreds of them. Some say the Gods themselves created the creatures. Others think they're a Human spirit given the physical form of their true nature.”

Yukiko looked to Chie, who'd placed the cup of tea in the circle of her legs to warm up. “Please, Hoshi. You can't tell my parents.”

"What of her parents?”

Yukiko cringed. "We're figuring that out."

The elder woman sighed and worried the bridge of her nose. “All right. I won't say anything for now. 

Yukiko threw her arms around Hoshi with a squeal of delight. “Thank you!”

“The things I do for you.” She waved her toward the door. “Go on and get to bed.”

Yukiko bowed deeply with 'thank you's' spilling over, and headed for the door. 

Chie stood, bowed as deeply as she could, and jumped down to the floor to follow. 

“And no more sneaking into my kitchen as you are, Chie. I'm not about to lose my job if you're spotted.” Hoshi shook her head. This would be a night to remember. 

The two made it back to Yukiko's room without incident. She closed the door just after the dog demon walked in, and sighed in relief. How many close calls were they going to go through in one night? “You shouldn't go running off like that. People won't understand.” She turned to find the dog demon sprawled out on the pillow, fast asleep. Food comas always hit her the hardest after a big meal. Apparently, three curry pan and a bit of tea defined 'big' for an animal demon. Not to mention the drama of the hot springs. Yukiko smiled slightly. 

Knowing that Hoshi was on their side made her feel better. Tomorrow they would meet up with their friends, and hopefully gain more answers.

Even though Chie was fast asleep on her floor pillow, Yukiko decided to stay up to stare at her blank T.V. Just in case something appeared on the Midnight Channel. She laid on her belly, kicking her feet in the air, and listened to the rain.


	13. 13th Scent: How To Be An Animal Demon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chie goes through some basic Animal Demon training.

13th SCENT: HOW TO BE AN ANIMAL DEMON

\----July 10th. The next morning at an evil hour before anyone should be awake on a Sunday...----

A thin layer of fog lingered over the town, giving the morning a cool, crisp, bleary feel like it was still asleep inside fall instead of spring.

They'd agreed to meet at the park gazebo early because of the severity of Chie's situation. However, 8am for Yosuke meant facing the world too soon for any reason on a Sunday.

He climbed onto a chair near the front door, grabbed the handle, and hauled it open. He then hopped back to the floor to push it a little more, and pulled the edge of the door in a run. He had to yank the door quickly in order to close it hard enough for it to lock. He exhaled. That was way too much effort just to operate one lousy door.

He stood behind a cluster of bamboo at the edge of the front yard to pull the hood of his large gray hoodie over his ears. It hid them well, though there wasn't much he could do about his tail. The sweater had formerly come from his stuffed Pickles frog toy, and sported a picture of a the smiling frog's face on the front. He checked his orange sneakers to make sure the laces were tight, but left the hem of his jeans to drape over the heels. Although he didn't mind running around barefoot –in fact, he favored it—protecting his feet from the pavement seemed like a good idea. Shoes were still an odd accessory to wear, but he'd quickly become accustomed to their feel and weight.

This was officially the first time he'd ever been out of the house on his own in his native form. He still couldn't change to his convenient 5'8" Human height, so he needed to avoid being seen as much as possible. His ears twitched as he listened for anyone coming up the road. Feeling it safe for now, he took off around the edge of the cul-du-sac down the street, sticking to the protective shrubs and gardens. He dashed behind a trash can to catch his breath, though the stench of garbage didn't help. He preferred the aroma of fresh rain. And chocolate.

Now wasn't the time to be distracted. He had a mission to complete, and he had to focus. The fastest way to get to Yu's was a straight line, but that would prove impossible with the fenced-in properties between points A: -the Hanamura residence, and B: -the Dojima home. The path heading down to his friend's street flanked the road in stone wall baracades and wide open sidewalks offering very few hiding spots. Those came in the forms of garbage cans, cars, and whatever odd piece of furniture someone felt like leaving on the curb for sidewalk-shoppers. He waited for a car to pass by before dodging to the other side of the first cross street. A yellow tabby cat hissed at him from its lofty perch on the wall. He narrowed his eyes and yipped impatiently at it as he ran. Chasing it would be fun, but he didn't have time to play. He needed to get to Yu's quickly before someone spotted him.

He heard the rattling of a trash can lid, then soft paws hitting the sidewalk. That idiot cat was following him. Didn't it have anything better to do than stalk a fox demon? Didn't it know what a fox demon was capable of? Come to think of it, other than using the power to control wind when his life was in danger, he really didn't know what else he was capable of. And he couldn't control that power, which just made him small and irresistibly adorable to girls. Not that he had an issue with that, or anything...

His stalker nimbly took to the top of a fence again to follow.

He growled with annoyance and shot a quick 'get lost' glare at it.

The cat halted for no more than two seconds before continuing at a quicker pace. The challenge had been met and accepted.

Yosuke sped up. What was the deal with this guy? Sure, he liked cats –after all, one of his best friends was a cat demon—but this guy was nothing like Naoto. He smelled of sneaky business, sly deceit, and gave off a very unwelcoming vibe. Whereas Naoto owned her scientific indifference.

It was a good sprint to the next street and down the hill. He stopped in front of the Dojimas' two storied home with a grin. He'd made it without being seen, and he was only a little out of breath. What a great, uneventful way to start the day.

The yellow tom cat appeared to have other plans.

He stopped suddenly when the animal dropped down in front of him with the silence of a leaf on water. Leaves needed to be blown away, and the little fox demon had to be the force to make that happen.

The two prowled around each other in a circle. The cat was the first to make a move. It lunged, though missed as the other dodged. Yosuke grinned, flicking his tail tauntingly.

It was a signal of arrogance made by any animal with a tail, and its meaning drove a nail of disdain through the cat.

Yosuke's ears flattened. If this loser wanted a fight, he would get it. He may be smaller than the feline, but he'd fought against ugly monsters with lolling tongues like a drunken cow—at least like the cartoon one inebriated from too much milk in a commercial.

The tabby's tail flicked.

He jumped. The cat scrambled. Claws cut through the air. Yosuke landed. "Garu!" He thrust out his hands...

Nothing.

He remained in that pose for a very long, confusion-filled second laced with embarrassment, and regret.

The cat growled deeply, hunching its shoulder blades in a slight rocking fashion and seemed to give a Cheshire smile. It locked its target in its sea-green eyes. The little fox-creature was about the size of a squirrel, and had proven to be much more of a challenge to catch.

Yosuke backed up, suddenly a little less sure of himself, but no less annoyed to hell with this cheeky shit.

He scrambled up onto the hood of a car and bared his teeth in a growl, fluffing out his tail. If the motion worked with other animals, it should work to make him look more intimidating. He crouched down the same as his opponent on the sidewalk, wiggled his butt in the same manner, and pounced.

Yu snatched him out of midair. "Probably not a good idea."

His irritation flamed in quick sounds and yips. He watched the cat run off, spooked by the Human's arrival. He could take that bastard, he knew he could!

"Maybe, but do you want to explain scratches and bruises to the others?" He paused, "Wait- you would just so Yukiko could slap a few bandaids on you." He chuckled. "Actually, that's a good plan. Save it for later."

Yosuke's eyes became as big as peaches. He hadn't even thought of that; Get into a fight, get injured, and have the Goddess Amagi herself gently tend to his wounds and kiss them better. What a brilliant and completely unintentional idea! He was even more upset now that Yu had stopped him from enacting this perfectly unplanned plan.

He ignored the fox demon's micro-tantrum. "Glad you got here in one piece, anyway. Enjoy the walk?"

Yosuke grumbled about just getting to the park already, you moron.

Yu flipped up the top of his empty school bag.

Still brooding, he accepted the offered hiding spot and slid into the bag. The world darkened as the cover flipped back into place. He flopped on his back, crossed his feet at the ankles with his tail draped over his belly, and smoothed down the heckled fur with his hands.

They'd agreed on this method of transportation the night before. Logically, the most convenient and expedient way to travel with perfect concealment was to use the school bag. Yosuke was already accustomed to it, so it wasn't a difficult decision. It had been a while, though. The little fox settled in to catch some extra zzz's and enjoyed the ride to the park gazebo. Hardly anyone was out save for the sparse morning jogger passing by with earbuds hanging from their ears like limp vines.

Yu moved onto the grass up the hill where the old, traditional Japanese gazebo rested. They'd chosen this place, because even though people could be seen within the old structure, it was difficult to make out the identities of anyone. It was far enough away from the walking path that people only saw shapes and forms. Seeing animal demons jumping around on the grass in front of it would simply look like the Yasogami High students had taken their pets out to enjoy the morning.

They were the second pair to arrive. The fog had just begun to lift, though the chill stuck around.

"Good morning." Yukiko held out a steaming cup of coffee to him. She smiled pertly, hoping he would ignore her attempt to hide the bags under her eyes at home with a thin layer of make-up. Chie sat next to her with an espresso to-go cup filled with tea that warmed the cool air. Both of them wore sweaters; Yukiko in her favorite red cable knit cardigan, and Chie in yellow long sleeved number with jeans.

"Morning," he dropped heavily onto the bench and dumped the sleeping fox demon from his bag. He'd been up all night, and thus was still tired. "Rough night?"

Yosuke's tail fluffed over his face, making him sneeze himself awake. How dare they interrupt his dream of boxing that devil cat into next week. It was just getting to the good part where he was spinning it by the tail.

"I was up late watching for the Midnight Channel." She took a sip of her tea.

"Anything?" He accepted the cup. 

Yukiko shook her head slightly from side to side. "It's horrible, but I was actually hoping for something to show up on the screen."

The wind caught strands of her straight black hair, and Yu thought he smelled strawberries on the breeze. He'd noticed her the first day of school when King Moron's introduction flayed his self esteem to shreds in front of the whole class. She'd whispered an apology to him when he'd tried to hide by slumping down at his new desk. That slight gesture of good will remained with him. He may not be a man of many words, but he was still a man. And Yukiko Amagi quickly became one of the main reasons he could shut his alarm off every morning and face home room.

The interruption of yips and barks from Chie snared his focus away from the morning essence brightening around Yukiko. He snapped out of it. "Sorry. What?"

Chie sighed, annoyed, pushed back one of her ears, and repeated herself. If there was a reason for being up so early, she didn't see it.

"Because, Naoto said to meet her here at nine."

His response was a very irritated snap reaction from the other three. "That's an hour from now!"

Yu sipped his coffee. "I thought the time would give Chie and Yosuke a chance to work together before the others showed up."

Chie set the cup next to her and stood. There was no way she was going to spend her time learning how to be an animal demon when they may be racing the clock to change her back to normal, which meant catching the guy behind Shadow Rise's weapon as soon as possible.

The emotional outburst couldn't be understood by Yukiko via words, but she had an idea about the meaning. She rested her hand on Chie's head. "Maybe Yu has a point. You're going to be like this until we can find a way to change you back, so you might as well learn to use it to your advantage. We all have to be our strongest to go after this guy, right?" She cupped her warm tea in both hands once more and sipped from it.

Why did she have to come at this with logic?

Yosuke had to stand on Yu's leg to reach the cup in his friend's hands. He pulled it down so he could have a sip of coffee. He seriously needed the pick-me-up.

The caffeine struck almost instantly. Within seconds, he was on the floor and yipping to Chie to come join him.

Chie stubbornly folded her arms, letting her tail swish lazily back and forth. When she glanced up at Yukiko, the look the other gave her slipped past her irritation right to her core. She sighed and let her arms fall to her sides, defeated. The sense from her best friend was one of encouragement.

Yosuke lead the way down the steps to the grass with Chie trudging along behind.

He stretched his arms over his head and let the conversation between his Human and Yukiko stay within the gazebo. A sincerely unhappy dog demon glared at him.

"Why are you giving me the evil eye? I didn't do anything."

He was right, of course, but she needed something to vent her frustrations on. Both of her taller friends made good points, and they needed to use every tool at their disposal, even if it meant learning how to be an animal demon. "Can we just get through this? I'm only going along with this because the others think it's a good idea. We have an hour until Naoto gets here and then we can really get to work. What am I supposed to do anyway?"

He brushed off her callous tone. "Bet you I can reach that tree over there before you can."

"A race?" She arched an eyebrow as he removed his shoes and socks to wiggle his toes in the moist grass. "What exactly is this going to accomplish?"

"Yeah, you probably should stay here. I doubt you could beat me anyway. You'd just cry into you tail because you'd lose." He said nonchalantly.

A muscle twitched in her cheek. "You think so," she uttered between gritted teeth.

"I know a loser when I see one," He knew his chiding tone would bait her. 

It worked. Her ears flattened against her head.

"Unless you think you can prove me wrong. Ready set go!" He launched from his place toward the target-tree.

"Hey!" She took off after him, caught up, but he pulled ahead and touched the smooth bark before she did. "That was not fair. The grass was wet. I slipped."

"So, take your shoes off," he yipped.

Chie's face scrunched slightly in confusion. “Huh? What do shoes have to do with this?” Hers weren't that bad. They were comfortable, had decent tread, and laced up.

"Have you ever looked at yourself? I mean, your feet?" He lifted one foot and wiggled his toes. "It's a lot easier to run barefoot. There's something about being able to feel the ground that makes a difference."

She stole a quick glance at his dirty foot before he'd stepped back down. It looked normal to her. Still, curiosity overcame her judgment, and she sat to slip off her own sneakers and socks. She'd never thought to look at the bottoms of her feet before. Oddly, it was easier to walk through the Amagi Inn barefoot than in the little shoes Yukiko had found for her.

She rested her right foot over her knee and touched the pads of her feet lightly, feeling pressure, but hardly anything else. Tiny, thin raised bumps striated beneath her skin in a chevron pattern. They were hardly detectable, but definitely there.

Yosuke bolted back across the grass toward the gazebo. "Try catching me this time!"

She followed on his heels. Her feet padded quickly against the soft grass, and she could feel her entire foot gripping the sod. The design of those little bumps offered some kind of biological tread. She caught up to him, grinned, and dropped automatically to plant her hands against the grass for added momentum as well. She pulled ahead of him easily on all fours and slid to a halt near their starting place at the steps of the gazebo.

Her breath came heavy as she examined her palms, and a small exclamation of surprise escaped her lips. For the first time, she noticed they supported the same minute design as her feet –again, hardly detectable, soft, but noticeable when she applied pressure for traction. She hadn't even thought about running on all fours. Her will to speed up had taken over like an instinct. Did she posses animal demon instincts now, too? That meant that her body wasn't the only thing to change. Her mind had been altered as well. The fear that her normal self was being replaced by something alien trembled through her. She clenched her fists.

Chie blinked up at Yosuke when he took her hands. He had so much faith in his eyes; faith in her, or in succeeding in their mission to return her to normal and catch the dog demon on the rooftop. Whatever its source, it was enough to keep her sharp responses behind her teeth.

"Let's go again." He could tell she was pulling back into her worries. "Don't think. Feel."

"So," she began. If she was going to find the one who cursed her, then she had to be strong in her abilities, even if they were animal demon in nature. "All right, then. Get ready to eat my dust, Hanamura."

"Dream on, Satonaka."

Both ran at top speed for the tree, dropping onto all fours occasionally. Chie rounded the tree, skid in a half-moon, used her hand to help complete the sharp turn, and charged back to the gazebo.

The two of them completed four races. Chie won two of them, while Yosuke panted out of breath as the victor of three. The two demons were a blur of red and blond tails and ears on the morning hilltop as they switched to a 'catch me if you can' game. They zigged and zagged around each other. He changed directions so quickly, she had to pivot her position instantly to compensate. He was faster than she'd ever given him credit for. The training mirrored a similar style she'd participated in on a kung fu retreat a year ago. It was hard to believe Yosuke had it in him to pull the 'teacher' card, and she felt a spark of respect forming for the young animal demon. That is, until she caught him grinning like a cheap carnival entertainer as they passed by one another. This wasn't training at all. The little idiot was Playing: pure and simple.

He ducked as Chie ran straight for him on all fours, aiming to barrel roll him into the ground.

The two spectators watched the whole thing during their conversation. It seemed harmless, until the dog demon let her emotions get the best of her. Yukiko shot up out of her seat. "Chie! Jump!"

She pushed off with both hands and feet, propelling herself through the air, over his head, the steps, and landed on the smooth tiles of the gazebo. Her head swam with wonder as she looked to the distance she'd just cleared. A good eight feet lived between the fox demon's spot on the grass to her place on the cool tiles. Considering her small size, that was a herculean-level feat.

"Wow," Yukiko breathed. "It-it worked." She hadn't expected the command to have any affect on her friend. She was both satisfied that her curiosity had been sated, though disgusted at herself for overriding the will of her best friend. "Well," she cleared her throat, hoping Chie wouldn't call her on it. She'd simply reacted to the scene without thinking. Chie could be ruthless when she was mad, so Yukiko had done the only thing she could to keep the dog demon from slamming Yosuke into the dirt. She cleared her throat. "That explains how you got up onto the table last night." She handed the tiny dog demon the espresso cup filled with tea.

Chie chugged the cool liquid, panting to catch her breath. She lowered the cup and pointed accusingly at the fox as he walked up the steps. "You were playing!"

Yosuke put his shoes back on and hopped up onto the gazebo seat. "Well duh." He accepted a refill in the same cup from Yukiko and drank heartily. "What did you think we were doing? Working? Psh. That stuff's for stiffs. Gotta have fun. Loosen up. Let yourself go, Chie. You're too strict on yourself sometimes." He twirled the paper cup on one finger. "Actually, you're pretty fast, and that jump was insane."

Yu set his own empty coffee cup aside. "That reminds of something that bothered me for a while. You can jump pretty high, right? How come you couldn't jump out of that box at the shrine?"

Yosuke opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out. He didn't know what to say. He'd tried multiple times to leave the box, as it was easily within his range, but his efforts were never enough. "I tried, but...couldn't."

Yu arched an eyebrow.

Yosuke relaxed with his back up against the outside of his Human's left thigh. "It wasn't high enough to be much of a challenge, but for some reason, after the man in the baseball hat told me to stay, I felt like I had to do what he said. Even when it got dark, and it started to rain, I was stuck." He'd obeyed. Yet despite the need to find shelter and food, every attempt ended in failure. He just simply had to stay. Night fell, the storm grew more violent, and he was trapped both by the box, and the command. He'd been abandoned and lied to. In those long, lonely hours, trust for anyone had dissolved away. He'd given up hope that the silver-haired man would return, and curled into his hunger and loneliness. That's when Yu had found him. That's when he'd been claimed. And that's when Yosuke could trust one more time.

Yu scratched the fox's ear lightly. "That sounds like a reaction to a command." he mused.

Yukiko sipped on her tea and listened to her friend's translation. She set the cup down. "What did this guy say to you?"

Yosuke rolled the small cup on its side lazily. "He said, 'Wait here until you're claimed.' I did, but he never came back."

Again, Yu translated, though Yukiko frowned in thought. "That's mean. And dangerous." She brushed her hair out of her eyes to look into his. “So, you really did save his life.”

He thought about that night, about the street light blowing out at the exact moment of his decision, causing him to change his mind and head up the steps to the Tatsuhime Shrine. "It almost sounds like this person knew I'd take the shortcut that night."

Chie arched a questioning eyebrow at Yosuke. He sighed and translated. She sat cross legged on the bench. "But who would know you'd be out so late?" Chie asked. She knew her friend couldn't understand her, but Yu could.

He was about to explain to Yukiko when the slim girl suddenly waved her arm to get someone's attention in the distance.

Naoto strode up the short steps into the shelter to part easily into the conversation. She wore a navy blue peacoat adorned with gold buttons secured all the way up, and her hands were stuffed into the pockets. Her signature cap slouched comfortably over her blue hair, and -more than likely-her ears.

"Naoto. Good morning," Yu nodded.

"Good morning."

"Where's Rise?" Yukiko asked.

"I sent her a text telling her the plans changed to ten. She was exhausted from her ordeal in the TV world, and I felt she could benefit from some rest. Kanji, however-"

"Hey, you gotta run so fast? There ain't nothing wrong with hangin' back and takin' it easy." Kanji jogged up the hill to them and caught his breath.

"-didn't seem to think I was capable of walking here on my own."

The taller boy dropped heavily onto a seat in the gazebo and leaned on his knees. "You're stubborn as hell, you know that? It's a beautiful frickin' morning. Enjoy it."

Naoto's eyes flicked to Yosuke. She leaned forward and sniffed the air. Her scrutinizing gaze never left the tiny animal demon. "You smell like another cat."

If he told her he got into a scrap with a fanged beast straight from a b-rated horror flick, she might take offense at his desire to punt his nemesis hard into the Samegawa river. He just shrugged along side a grin. "Jealous?"

"Hardly."

Kanji leaned his backpack against the wooden bench. He muttered a quick good morning, though kept his eyes away from Naoto.

"Why do you look like the poster boy for a Tsundere cartoon character?" Yukiko sometimes lacked any tact whatsoever, but it was a question each of them wanted to know an answer to.

"It ain't got nothin' to do with that. It's early as shit and I'm still tired. I didn't stay up all night with anyone, got it?" He barked.

Everyone stared at him. "No one said anything," Yu stated bluntly.

"It has been a long night. Perhaps I should explain," Naoto took a seat next to him.


	14. 14th Scent:  Kanji's Sleepless Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The cat demon discovers some important information about the other dog demon taken from the box. When she's injured in a fall, she's taken care of by Kanji, and is surprised to find that's where she wants to be.

14th SCENT: KANJI'S SLEEPLESS NIGHT

\----The night before after leaving the Hanamura residence...----

The soprano voice of Naoto's mother chirped from her cell phone as the detective prince walked through Inaba late in the evening. She'd chosen a short cut through a small residential apartment area to get back to the Shirogane estate. “I know, mom. I'm sorry I didn't check in. I wasn't in an area with reception—” Irritated banter slapped back through the phone. Naoto sighed, a little annoyed that her mother still treated her like she'd just rolled out of the box. “Yes, mom, I promise I'll check in more regularly. I'm on my way home now. Could I ask you and dad for a favor? It's pertaining to the Yamano and Konishi cases. I think I may have a lead.” The light turned green and she jogged across the street. “Can you please pull the security footage from the Junes electronics department from three days ago?” She listened as her mom questioned why. “Someone said they saw a teenager looking suspicious near closing time. I have a hunch.” 

A stranger slouched quickly across the street ahead of her in a jog...no...he wasn't slouching. He was clutching something close to his chest. “Thanks. I'll be home, soon.” She pocketed the phone and watched the shadowed figure move down the street. Something about him seemed off –more so than the uncomfortable sense that peppered her from a local transient that favored the park. Naoto pressed her back against a fence out of sight when the figure stood straight to and looked her direction. Her ears twitched beneath her cap at the faint sound of someone sniffing the air. Only when it stopped did she peek around the corner. The figure hurried down the street, dashing through puddles and dim circles of light cast by the street lamps. 

He was heading in the opposite direction of her home, but she couldn't ignore the feeling in her gut demanding she follow. She cursed under her breath. Her mother was already upset that she'd been gone for so long. Staying out even later meant suffering through a lecture on how a true detective of the Shirogane family should behave. They would blame it on her youth and lack of experience. She'd never felt the strong compulsion to obey her mother's orders, though she'd only ever wanted to please her, and thus she chose to obey, to read as much as possible, and to learn every nuance of the gum shoe life. 

She glanced up the hill, then back as the stranger skulked through a fence barricading a small apartment complex from the rest of Inaba. Stealing her decision, she ran down the street after the stranger. Her mother might not approve of her actions, but Naoto could never ignore the one phrase that continually lived in the center of her heart and mind driving her every action. _Follow your instincts and find the truth._ She had no choice but to obey that urge. It had helped her catch ten criminals in varying degrees of crimes since that fateful day at the Inaba police station two months ago. Whether her mother liked it or not, this was what she was: a truth seeker. Her purpose even lived within her name. 

A light flicked on in a second floor apartment, followed by the silhouette of the stranger setting the bag down out of sight. It crumpled like plastic. If this was the same kid Yosuke had encountered, then he likely just came from Junes. His shadow was slim and slightly hunched as though an invisible weight pressed his shoulders forward. She had to know what was going inside. 

An old cherry tree draped its branches invitingly over the fence. It was too high to jump to as she was, but relatively simple to get to with claws. She looked left, then right, ensured she was alone in the street, and put her focus into the power of her change skill. Within seconds, she was climbing up the fence to the tree, where she hooked her claws into the bark and swung herself up onto the branch. Yet, she'd taken the time to neatly place her shoes and cap near the gate. Climbing with lifts on would be foolish, and made no sense, plus she didn't want to lose her favorite hat. She'd get to them when her reconnaissance was over.

Naoto's tail flicked back and forth to keep her balance as she scrambled through the tree, hauling herself over branches, and running along the course bark to get as close as she could to the window. Her eyes glued to the figure within. 

She could see him more clearly now. The stranger was a teenage boy around her age. His limp hair draped over his eyes as he bent to dig something out of the bag and held it up in the light. 

Naoto edged forward to get a better view. It looked like a woman's sweater that still had the price tag dangling from the cuff of its sleeve. The boy bunched the clothing up in his hands and inhaled deeply with a smile. Naoto's eye twitched. That right there could have been why he seemed so weird. If buying and sniffing womens clothing gave him thrills, then she had no place to judge. It did, however, creep her out. With that disturbing mystery solved, she scooted backward along the branch to climb down and leave him be forever. She froze when a truck pulled up to park in front of the building. 

A man in a green jumpsuit and matching hat climbed out of the drivers seat and walked through the gate without bothering to close it. He carried a bag of take-out from Aiya's Chinese restaurant. She watched him curiously as he climbed the stairs to the second floor and unlocked the door to the apartment harboring the strange boy. 

The boy turned to face the new comer.

Naoto's ears turned forward to hear as much as possible. 

“Did you do the homework I brought for you?” A deep voice asked. 

“Yes. It's on the desk.” The boy's tone held little respect for the older male. She could hear the sounds of a video game starting up.

The man walked over to the couch and picked up the sweater. “Is this it?”

“Yes. That's the one. She's perfect. She's exactly what she's looking for.”

_She?_ Naoto thought. The little cat demon leaned forward, straining to hear the details. 

"Does she have enough pain to warrant this?"

"She's filled with it." The boy growled and stood to snatch the sweater out of the man's hands. “I'm only working with you because she wants me to.”

“You don't even know what her ultimate plans are.”

“I know enough,” the boy said haughty. “And I don't see the point in what she's doing, but it's not my place to ask. I trust her.” The boy grinned. “She's closer to her goal now that it worked. Soon you won't be needed at all.” 

“You mindless mutt! Don't forget _I_ found you. _I_ took you in. _I_ saved you.”

She let out a sharp sound of surprise when two ears formed on his head. One was a dark brown like a collie, the other was completely black. 

It was him. The third yokai. 

The boy laughed, though it held such dead chill that the fur on Naoto's tail stood on end. 

“But _she_ named me. She just dumped me with you. She knew you would never be able to command me. She is the one who saved me. You couldn't save a fly.”

Naoto heard the snap-sound of flesh striking flesh and gasped.

"I didn't know people would die! I can't get out of this loop because of you!"

The dog demon grumbled. "Shit happens."

"Don't you care?"

"Why should I?" he rubbed at his sore cheek. 

He was completely apathetic. This was not the same dog demon who'd tried to defend her and Yosuke from that titanic Shadow monster with fire. She remembered he had been affected by its plague. Perhaps this was the result of the silver-haired man's failed attempt to remove it completely. She'd been uneasy around him in the box when they all woke up, and neither she nor the fox demon wanted to be near him

The boy tossed the sweater back at him. “This one is perfect,” his voice nearly purred the statement. “She won't escape like Rise did.”

“And if someone interferes again?”

“She's told me she's making sure that won't happen.”

The man grumbled and dropped the take-out roughly on the table. Rice and meat from a bowl of nikudon spilled onto the floor. “Enjoy your dinner. I'll meet you tomorrow. Same place. Just do your job, Mitsuo.”

Mitsuo eyed the clumps of food dripping to the floor. “I always find who I'm looking for, Namatame. I'm excited about this one. I really like her.” He smiled in a dreamy fashion. “She smells like strawberries.”

Taro Namatame slammed the front door. 

The sudden noise jarred Naoto from her spot and she slid back. She caught the branch below her with her claws and held her breath as Namatame walked underneath her dangling feet, settled back into his delivery truck, and drove away. 

Naoto pulled herself up one paw at a time. She grabbed onto a skinny branch for leverage, but it snapped, cutting her hand and stabbing a splinter through her paw. Her grip suffered for the pain and she fell to the grass below in a loud yelp. Thankfully, she twisted enough to land on her feet and rolled from the impact. 

What happened in the next few minutes that followed lived in a haze. Someone picked her up, uttering words of beratement. Her eyes rested on the print of a white skull and crossbones on a black shirt, and above it, a sharp jaw line scowling below slicked back, bleached blond hair. She closed her eyes and exhaled, able to relax for some reason despite her fall. 

“The hell you tryin' to do, break your leg?” Kanji's tone switched to concern. “Hey, Naoto, stay awake. Naoto...”

* * * *  
She tried everything in her power to stay awake as he carried her, though finally gave up and settled for keeping herself conscious by listening to the world around her. She heard the sound of a lock click open, and an announcement that he was home. The voice of an older woman responded in kind, then told him to come get dinner. Something soft cushioned her when he set her down. 

After a moment, she blinked, finally sitting up, and noticed she was surrounded by a pile of neatly balled up socks in an open sock drawer. The clothing exuded a specific type of detergent she recognized, and after a few sniffs, she could place where she knew it from. 

These socks belonged to Kanji Tatsumi. How in the name of Science did she wind up in his sock drawer? 

Upon further investigation of her surroundings, she realized she was in his room. It failed to resemble her expectation of its appearance. It was clean, organized, and neat, with trinkets and miscellaneous items of the cute, soft, and fluffy types filling baskets along book shelves. An entire shelf was stuffed tightly with shouja manga, his bed was made, the nightstands on either side were organized, a dark curtain hiding the window over his headboard was tied off to one side by a strip of cloth bearing designs she could have sworn was hand embroidered with lightning designs, the floor was clear of crumpled up clothing or random items, and the only area that could be classified as 'cluttered' was his desk. The color scheme of the entire room revolved around dark shades of the cool spectrum. The only variance of color she saw came from a wicker basket harboring many skeins of multicolored yarn. It was only after she noticed that, that more points of color showed themselves around the room of greens, yellows, blues, reds, purples, and to her surprise, a small key chain with a pink teddy bear rested on the dresser above her. It appeared to be knitted by hand. 

She would have never guessed this was the personal living area of the school's most feared first year student. She must have hit her head harder than she thought.

Naoto stood in the drawer and reached for the bear key chain to further analyze it, when a stab of pain throbbed through her hand. She mewed, clutching her wrist. The splinter from the tree was still there. She tried pulling it out with her teeth, but only succeeded in irritating the skin of her palm. 

Her attention snapped to the door when it closed.

“Good, you're awake. I snuck a plate from dinner.” He set it on top of the dresser. “You might not be hungry, but my mom's a good cook, so you should at least try it.” 

Naoto just stared at him for a long while, studying him to discern his intentions. She could see through that shell he constantly kept up around everyone else. “Why did you bring me here?” She finally asked. 

He had to tear his eyes away from the pure adorableness of her ears when they twitched. “That's a stupid question. You fell out of a tree and hit your head. That kind of a fall could hurt anyone, and you had to be stupid enough to do it when you're a foot tall. You kept zoning in and out on the way here, so you have a concussion. Only an idiot would try to be alone after that.”

She frowned as he dug through a desk drawer looking for something. “I'm fine.” She sat back down in the socks from a wave of dizziness. Unfortunately, she realized he was right.

“Bull shit.” If she was trying to lie to him, she was doing a piss poor job of it. 

“Kanji?” His mother knocked at the door.

The older youth panicked and shoved the little cat demon down into the socks. 

A mew of surprise squeaked out of her at the sudden action and darkness as he slammed the drawer shut. Socks piled around her. She was lucky her tail hadn't been caught.

Mrs. Tatsumi opened the door. “Who are you talking to, dear?”

“I'm on the phone, mom, jeeze! Leave a man to his privacy!”

“You left your phone in your jacket by the door.”

A muscle in his cheek twitched. 

Her eyes flicked to his hand pressed against his dresser drawer, then to his tense expression. His awkward behavior didn't get passed her at all. Most likely, he was working on another sewing project. She loved how he exercised his creative abilities, but wished he'd embrace the beauty of his artistic self a little more. “I'm sorry for barging in. Please take out the trash before tomorrow morning,” she smiled.

He calmed, and nodded. “Yeah, ok, mom.” 

And with a wink, she closed the door. 

He exhaled in relief, waited a second to make sure she'd left, and opened the drawer. 

Naoto sat up, shaking out her hair and ears, and blinked in the sudden light. “You really need to work on bluffing.”

He picked her up, ignoring her irritated mew, and set her on the dresser top. “Lemme fix that hand before it gets infected.” He set down a kit and opened it, removing a pair of tweezers. Having an arsenal of small tools for crafts sometimes came in handy. “Hold still.” 

She cringed when he took her tiny wrist between two fingers and turned her palm skyward. The touch of the tool sent her into a pain-filled high pitched meow. She automatically sunk her teeth into Kanji's hand.

He grit his teeth, freezing and willing himself not to tear his hand away. Two tiny drops of blood escaped the wound.

Realizing what she did, Naoto looked up at his face contorted in agony. Yet, he didn't move, he didn't harm her or slap her aside. He just let her bite him and took it. Anyone else would have had a more violent reaction. His will power was impressive. She let him go, suddenly ashamed of her actions, licked the wound once lightly, and turned away. Her ears drooped. 

“What was that for? I know it hurt, but damn. Hell of a bite.” He exhaled as the pain subsided. He blinked down at the top of her head. He could never hurt her. Even when she inflicted any damage, he could never reciprocate.

“Just get it over with already,” she mumbled.

The way she came across now, even as a cat demon, was one of humility and regret. “As long as you keep your teeth to yourself.” He pressed the tweezers gently to her palm again.

She mewed and bit her lip, quivering, but holding steady. Even with the pain, his touch warmed her, and a gaping hole within her felt complete. 

After a moment, it was over. The pressure in her palm relieved when he removed the splinter, wrapped a bandaid around her hand with the medicated pad covering her palm, and let her go. She rubbed her wrist, still refusing to make eye contact with him. “Thank you.”

He disinfected his own wound with a bandage and tucked the kit back in its place at the desk. 

“I'm sorry I bit you. I just...reacted.” She sat on a skein of yellow yarn on the dresser and played with the loose end absently between the fingers of her left hand. 

“Forget about it. You're an animal demon, so part of you has to be all animal-like, right?” He watched her toy with the end of the yarn, hoping she wouldn't ask about why he had it, or the four baskets of other types of yarn and needles on the shelf. They were silent for a while, both lost in their own thoughts. “Look, if you want to go home, I can--” 

Her head had dipped down again with the yarn hanging limply in her hand.

“Naoto! Stay awake.”

She jerked awake.

“On second thought, you're staying here.”

“My mother's expecting me.” Her phone had been in her pocket when she'd changed, and she wasn't sure if it would function properly at this size. The basics of the Change skill would simply alter her body. However, in the past month, she'd figured out how to affect the size of anything on her person –clothes, keys, change, her phone-- whatever was in her pockets shrank or grew with her command. Hope that the technology would still transmit and receive signals clenched in her chest as she typed a text to her mother's phone and waited. Moments later, a short response popped up. She sighed happily.

[Where are you? Are you ok?]

[I'm with Kanji Tatsumi. He thinks I have a concussion.]

She waited patiently for a reply, looking up to the tall youth, who pinned his gaze immediately elsewhere. If he was trying to fool her into thinking he wasn't watching her, he'd failed. 

Her mother's response beeped in. [Do you feel safe?]

What kind of question was that? Of course she felt safe—albeit a little nervous at being in a stranger's home—but her senses hadn't picked up any 'red alert' signs from the tall first year. Though she found her ease around the school's known delinquent odd, she actually didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay here with him. It didn't make sense to her. She relayed a simple “yes” to her mother. 

[Then stay there. Come home tomorrow.]

Naoto's eyes widened. Normally, an animal demon and their bonded couldn't be apart for very long without feeling some effects of the others absence. However, she'd been away for two days, and felt very little. And now she was being ordered to stay away for a third. It disturbed her that she felt a light wash of relief at being ordered to remain with Kanji. 

She cleared her throat, scratched at itch at her right ear, and looked around. “Where are my shoes and hat? I left them by the fence.” 

Kanji gestured to the floor below the dresser, out of her sight. “They're here. I saw them and that's why I stopped. You're lucky. I don't normally go that way.” 

“Why'd you switch your routine now?”

He shrugged. “Guess I just kinda felt like it. A guy can change his mind whenever he wants, ya know.” It wasn't a complete lie. He'd felt a strong compulsion to switch his path home, and had been thinking about Naoto at the time. 

She focused on her Change skill. Ribbons of energy coiled around her, though died down almost immediately. Her shoulders slumped from the exertion. The concussion must be enough to scatter her control over the skill.

“Hey, take it easy. You don't want to hurt yourself.” He hadn't meant to put that much concern into the words, and hoped she didn't notice.  
The pink knitted teddy bear key chain sitting next to her soon became her new area of focus. “Did you make this?”

“Uh yeah,” he muttered. “It's just a little thing for this kid I saw the other day. It's no big deal.”

“It's good. It's very detailed, and the lines are perfect.”

He blinked at her as she put the bear back where she'd found it. “...Yeah, it's not like I actually wanted to make that or anything. I just felt bad for this kid who lost his.” He felt a sense of accomplishment and acceptance at her compliment, and was genuinely surprised and happy that she approved of his work. “What were you doing in a tree in someone elses yard anyway?”

Naoto shrugged. “Following a lead. I didn't want it to be a night of wasted effort. We are on a time crunch to get Chie to look Human before school starts.” She picked up a pan fried bit of broccoli and munched. The wooziness hadn't quite worn off yet, but she knew if she didn't get something into her system, the effects would be much worse. 

“Any luck?” 

“Yes, actually. I overheard something very interesting.” She said in a yawn.

“Tell me about it.”

She regarded him coolly. “I know what you're doing.” 

Her calmness washed around him. “What do you mean?”

“You're keeping me talking. I read that someone suffering from a concussion must remain conscious for at least two hours after the incident to ensure there's no serious damage.” She bundled up some of the loose yarn to create a make-shift pillow and layed down on it. Her tail draped over the side of the dresser. For some reason, she couldn't fall asleep even if she let herself succumb to the desire. The phrase, _'Naoto. Stay awake'_ took precedence over the urge to sleep itself. 

“Well,...” Kanji grabbed at his train of thought. “Yeah. What, I got a stake in this, too, ya know. I was there when those freaks of nature attacked.”

“Why are you so concerned about me?”

“I... I just am.” 

The room thickened from the pressure of the silence. Kanji sat cross-legged on his bed. “So, you gonna tell me what you heard, or just sit there staring off into space?” He bit his tongue before the words 'cute' or 'soft' came out of his mouth. 

He listened as she explained everything she could remember from eavesdropping on the dog demon and the delivery man. When he inquired about who 'she' was, she simply shrugged. At least now they had a location, and a name. They'd confront this bastard tomorrow with everyone else and drag the dog demon back to that world. He'd make the sorry runt return Chie to normal the old fashioned way –the same way he convinced that biker gang to get the hell away from his house so his mom could sleep in peace. 

“We need him to not be a broken mess so he can tell us who his bonded is, and the Inaba police can bring that person to justice.” Naoto mumbled from her yarn-bed. 

How had she known of his intentions? He'd remained silent throughout her entire retelling and didn't give any clue to his thoughts beyond clenching his fists and gritting his teeth. They didn't know each other well enough to gauge the others possible reaction based on minute physical signs alone. If a bond existed between them in the same manner as Yu and that annoying fox demon, then surely she'd know about it, too.  
He watched her eyes droop to her fight against sleep as she stared at the ceiling. Maybe she really didn't know. “Have you always wanted to be a detective? I mean, it wasn't chosen for you?”

“Yes. There is a possibility my connection to my mother could be a contributing factor, or even finding myself at the police station. Even before, in the Red World, I couldn't let myself sleep like the others until I knew who had taken us, where we were, and where we were going.” She yawned. “I just have to follow my instincts and find the truth. It's who I am.” 

Again, silence lingered between them. The odd car passed by on the street outside with their headlights tracking smoothly across the room. Soon, the pattering of water against his window replaced the still night as a small drizzle opened up over the town. 

He checked his watch. Two hours had passed since he'd found her in the yard of that apartment building. “It's probably ok to sleep now if you're tired.”

Naoto relaxed completely before he'd even finished the sentence, and was sound asleep within a few short breathes, curled up in yellow yarn.


	15. 15th Scent:  The Search for Mitsuo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They follow the leads from Naoto's information. Chie's struggle in being an animal demon continues.  
> They run across someone whom the fox demon never expected -or wanted- to see again.

15th SCENT: THE SEARCH FOR MITSUO

\----Kanji's perspective...----

The detective prince retold this night to the others in the gazebo. Though as they leaned forward in rapt attention, Kanji drew back into his own thoughts after she'd fallen asleep and replayed them in his mind.

He'd taken the trash out before the rain had a chance to really soak the sidewalks, and went back to his room. The little cat demon hadn't moved beyond resting her head on her arm. 

He'd carefully scooped her up into both hands, rested her on the pillow's soft surface, then sank onto the end of the bed to keep an eye on her.   
It unsettled him to see her injured at all, even from his attempt to remove the splinter from her palm. He recalled giving her the name she now owned at the station, petting her soft ears, and leaving. There hadn't been enough time for a bond to form between them. They lived separate lives for over two months, though he could remember having trouble sleeping, and not being very hungry. He'd thought his grumpiness was part of the change in his habits. He'd even started a couple of fights because of a few heated words thrown by arrogant jerks. Normally, it would take more than a handful of pathetic, unimpressive slights to set him off, and he'd been given a reminder by his mother to reign in his temper. It got to the point where she'd called him out on his fuse being shorter than usual. 

But maybe that miniscule moment of less than 30 seconds in time was all it took for his soul to be tied to hers. She'd saved him that day, and he owed her. 

Their trip through the t.v world swirled in his head. She'd guarded him and Rise when that floating tongue creature attacked. She'd taken up point with him to protect the girl after she'd been paralyzed, and she'd calmed him down by merely letting her hand linger on his arm when he'd yelled at the fox demon. She'd also stood next to him and guided him through the fog before that squeaky-voiced bear demon gave him his sunglasses. In each instance, she'd stayed with him, like she'd felt a need to be there. He wondered if he should say anything to her at all when she awoke. 

Kanji watched over her that night with the sound of the rain as his only company. Eventually, at about 1am, he nodded off at the foot of the bed into a deep, peaceful slumber for the first time in over two months.

These inner thoughts remained with him. For now, there was no need for the others to know. 

* * * *  
\----A few minutes after Naoto's flashback story...----

Yosuke had set the cup down and climbed over to sit on Yu's knee to listen. When she'd finished, he tapped his finger idly against the dark fabric in thought. “And here I thought we were going to find him just to say, 'Hi, remember us? Long time no see!' It sucks that he has to be part of something that took--” He clamped his mouth shut as memories of Saki smiling at him at Junes flashed through his mind. He bit his lip against it, forcing his ears and tail to stay as they were and not betray his shift in emotions. To even further hide his thoughts, though more to protect himself against them, he chuckled. “I'm glad you landed on your feet. Way to embrace your cat demon-ness, Naoto.” 

Naoto cast him a steely glare. 

Chie's jaw hit the floor, or rather the seat she stood on, when Naoto finished her story. She understood a few words here and there, but was still mostly lost. She was actually grateful for Yosuke's translation. If Naoto knew where the third demon lived, why didn't she call anyone sooner? They should already be on their way to storm his house, kick the door down, and drag his ass back through a television to change her back. How could they all still be sitting there? 

Determined to track down this loser if she had to herself, she dropped to the floor and ran to the steps. She stopped when Yukiko's voice caught her as soon as her feet touched the grass. 

“We don't know all the facts yet, Chie,” Yukiko moved to kneel down in front of her best friend. 

“Running in as we are right now won't accomplish anything,” Naoto added. “Mitsuo might not even be the one controlling the device that altered you. I think his Bonded is responsible for that, and is using him as a lackey.” That idea in itself was just wrong. The pair –Human and animal demon—needed to work together with appreciation for each other, or the bond could turn toxic. “We still need to find out who 'She' is, and why she chose to place him with Namatame instead of keeping him herself.”

The little dog demon gazed down the hill to the walking path as the wind swept past her hair and ears. She sighed heavily. If she was going to properly galactic punt the other dog demon into the next century, she needed to first master the Change skill. But not in public. She couldn't even do it once, let alone affect anything on her—like clothing for example. 

“You said they were going to meet somewhere today. Do you know where?” Yu asked. 

“Sorry,” Naoto shook her head. “They never said.”

“Wish there was a way to warn whoever they're going after next.” Kanji leaned back in his seat and watched Naoto. She stood in the center of the gazebo –having not moved from the spot throughout the entire story. She wore an air of control like a scarf, though he knew she was just as lost as the rest of them. 

Yosuke looked up at his Human, and jumped to the floor. “Let's follow him and find out where they're going.” There was a possibility the dog demon hadn't left yet. He ran over to Chie, about to repeat what he'd said in his language when she held up her hand.

“I got it, dweeb.” She smiled when the other's eyes widened in shock. Apparently, her ability to understand her own language was improving rapidly, even if she couldn't repeat more than a few words yet. 

Kanji stood. “So, let's track down the little punk already and quit wasting time talking about it.” His phone beeped an incoming message before he'd even finished speaking. He checked it. It was a picture from Naoto. Everyone elses phones soon followed suit.

Naoto tucked her phone back into her pocket as those who had phones checked them. “I sent you all the photo my mother was able to pull from the security footage last night. It's the kid Yosuke told us about. I got a good look at him last night, so this is definitely the person we're looking for.” 

Yu opened the message. The image was in black and white, and a little grainy, but he could clearly see Yosuke facing a shorter kid with a slightly slouched posture. He could make out a pattern on the boy's shirt that resembled an old 8 bit video game scene. The slightly upturned smile on his face sent chills up Yu's spine. This kid was eying Yosuke in this shot like Chie eyed a freshly grilled steak. He wondered how the fox demon could be in such close quarters to the third demon from their box and not realize it. 

He felt a tug on his pant leg and looked down. Yosuke was reaching up for the phone. “Oh. Right.” He passed it down, remembering his friend had no way to carry his own. 

The little fox-boy held the phone in both hands with the oversized touch screen angled so Chie could get a good look, too. He frowned and shoved the tech at her. “Here. Hold this.”

“Wha? Oomph!” She grabbed hold of the phone in both of her tiny hands so he could use both of his to pull in on the image. 

That vacant expression resurrected the tense, threatening sense of that moment. He'd wanted to get away from those hollow, solid black eyes as fast as possible. His ears folded back slightly. “Yeah, that's him. He's just as creepy in a picture.” 

Yukiko put her phone away after memorizing the kid's face. “If neither of you really remembered him, could there have been more that came with you?”

“No,” Naoto stated.

“Absolutely not,” Yosuke mirrored. 

“Are you sure,” Yu bent down to take his phone back and pocketed it.

“I'm positive.” 

“Only Fools are positive.”

“Are you sure?” 

“I'm posi--”

Yosuke folded his arms under a slight smirk. 

“...” Yu snatched up the fox demon with one hand and shoved him into the empty school bag. He heard Yosuke triumphantly shout, 'Worth it!'  
That sent the tallest of the girls to her knees in a laughing fit. 

Soon after, Rise came jogging up the grassy hill to find the girl in the red sweater laughing uncontrollably. She blinked curiously. “Um...did I miss something?” Her brown eyes moved to the small dog demon standing next to Yukiko, then to the fox demon leaning halfway out of the bag. “Is she ok, or should we call someone?”

“She'll recover soon,” Yu studied the giggling girl on the grass. “I think.”

Kanji moved down to join them. “Wow, what's up with her? It wasn't that funny.”

Chie tried to tell him about her friend's endearing trait, but all she received was a raised eyebrow. She tugged on Yukiko's hand to tell her they should just go.

Yukiko got to her feet and wiped the tears away. “Sorry, I –heehee—I'm ok. Haha. Really.” 

“Right,” Rise cleared her throat, glanced to her feet, then to the others. “I just wanted to thank you guys for saving me yesterday. You risked a lot, and I think you almost lost someone because of me.” She looked to Yosuke. She'd seen the card hover over him, too, when they'd all thought he hadn't survived the battle. “What happened to Chie...well, that was supposed to be me, but she was hurt instead.” She gripped the collar of her pink jacket in her right hand. “I want to help you figure out who's doing this to people. I want to join your group, and try to catch this guy if you'll let me.”

Yu looked to Naoto and Kanji, then to Yukiko and Chie standing at her feet. He glanced down to Yosuke, who in turn, looked up to him. When did this suddenly become his decision? He was just along for the ride like the rest of them and knew as much as they did. If they'd held a consensus to make him the leader of this...well, he guessed it was a group...he was absent for it. 

They'd all been thrown together through a series of unlikely events because of the animal demons and these murders. He wondered if they would have given each other more than the time of day had different decisions been made –if the three demons hadn't been rescued from the TV world. Where would they all be now? A large part of him didn't want to know about that alternate reality. That would mean he'd lose everyone, and he'd be alone again. 

“Well? Leader?” Chie wheedled the word, grinning up at him with her arms crossed. She'd said that in their language, so everyone understood. 

Seeing that no one else expected him to respond, he took the initiative –and the mantle of 'Leader' for this investigation team-- and nodded once to Rise. “Ok.” If there were any objections, none were voiced. 

She smiled brightly and bowed. “Thank you.” 

Yukiko moved over to her and showed the photo taken from the security footage. “This is the person we're going to follow.”

Rise studied the picture carefully. “Hm. I've never seen him before. I don't think he goes to Yasogami High.”

“In all honesty,” Naoto began, “We can use an extra set of eyes to help analyze the situation.”

“Count me in!” Rise snapped into her best salute. 

“Then let's go, I want to ask you what you remember from your abduction anyway, if that's all right.” 

“I don't remember much, but I'll tell you everything I know.” 

The cat demon lead the way down the hill with Kanji following, and listened as Rise told her story. Her ears turned slightly beneath her cap when she noticed him staring at her. “Something on your mind?” 

He could see them—her tail, and most likely her ears under her hat. They were in public, so he knew she wouldn't risk exposing her true nature in front of every morning jogger in Inaba. None of this made any sense. Still, he could see her tail swaying lightly with her gait. The end curled up so her fur wouldn't touch the ground. “Nothing. Just can't wait to get my hands on this guy, that's all.”

“Hm.” Naoto turned back to the new girl. “I'm sorry. Continue.” 

Kanji kept up the rear, lost in thought, and now concerned. The bond between them was getting stronger. 

Yukiko bent down to pick up the little dog demon, but Chie stepped back and shook her head. Confused, she looked over to Yu, then to Chie, and stood. “I think she wants to do this herself.”

“Let her be,” Yu suggested. “She should still be allowed to do what she wants, even if it's not a practical choice.” He turned to follow the others.   
Yukiko shrugged, smiled at Chie, and joined up with Yu. 

Chie jogged behind them. So far, no one passed by them, or they'd see her. This fact of reality struck her too late. She could ruin this for everyone if she were seen, but her pride wouldn't allow her to back down. She huffed and puffed as she ran along side them. 

“You know,” Yosuke poked his head out of the back of the school bag, “you're doing this the hard way. Just accept a ride. It's a lot easier than keeping up.”

“I'm...fine...Hana...mura,” she breathed. 

“Uh huh. I can see that.” He watched her for a moment, a little entertained by her self-imposed plight. Then he shrugged. “Ok, then. Good luck not being seen. Oh, and I think this is a 'leashes-on' zone for dogs.”

She growled at him. 

Yu quickly scooped her up, ignoring her out of breath argument. “He has a point. We don't have a leash.” 

She barked back. 

He looked to Yukiko. “Do you mind?”

She shook her head. “They might kill each other, though.” 

He leaned over to whisper an idea into her ear so the fine tuned hearing of their companions couldn't pick it up. 

“Ah,” the slim girl touched a finger lightly to her lip in thought. “I suppose that could work. Just this once.” 

“Chie?”

The other cocked one ear up in a 'what' motion.

“Please be civil to Yosuke and don't hurt him,” Yukiko smiled. 

The dog demon girl folded her arms, unhappy, but if it would keep Yukiko smiling, she would consider the request –which she surprisingly understood. She exhaled when Yu placed her into the school bag. It was cramped, but manageable, and smelled like leather. She glared at the fox demon, who grinned. Her first instinct was to kick him, but she held back. For some reason, she couldn't even though she wanted to. 

“See? Isn't this much easier than running?”

Chie pushed the flap up a little to watch where they were going, and rode with the steady rocking motion of the bag. She glanced to Yu's leg at her left, then to Yukiko at her right. “I'm agreeing to this for her. Not to prove you were right.”

“So you admit it? Hah! I win.” He grinned and stretched his arms over his head, brushing his fingers against the underside of the cover. “Hey, at least she didn't command you.” 

She glanced back to him. “What? She can't do that.” Her resolve cracked. “...Can she?”

“Of course she can.” He uttered it like it was common knowledge. “She named you. She can order you to do whatever she wants.”  
“O-order me?” Chie slid down into a sitting position. Would her best friend really use that kind of power against her? Yukiko was the kindest person she'd ever known. There's no way she would assert her will over that of someone elses. 

“Hey, if she does, it's probably something little and stupid and you won't even know. Yu used that on me a few times when I was first got here, but to be honest, I kinda deserved it.” Her worry filled the space between them. “I hate that part of this thing, too, but Yukiko's nice. Like Yu. They'd never use their powers for evil.”

“You trust him that much?”

“With my life. Without question.” He shrugged into a smirk. “He's my Human.” 

Chie frowned. She knew Yukiko better than anyone, and could bet her favorite beef stick on her friend's kindness toward others –albeit she could be a little airheaded at times. Yosuke was right. Yukiko would never command her do anything bad. She curled her tail around her and rode with the bag's motions. Apparently, it was a long walk to Mitsuo's. 

She looked over to Yosuke, who'd pulled a shred of paper out of a side pocket next to a blue pen and was folding it into a paper crane out of boredom. She crossed her arms over her chest. If she was going to be like this forever, then this would be her new future –riding in a bag with a fox-kid. Only she was now exactly like him, so maybe it should be this way. 

She dug through the pocket next to her, found a paperclip, and just held it. “I still can't get used to everything being so ginormous. It's like an alien planet.” 

“I know how you feel. I still have issues with everything being so small when I'm a Human. This feels normal. That feels weird.”  
She bent the paper clip, tried to bend it back, failed, and slipped it back into the pocket. Hopefully Yu wouldn't care. 

“Wanna play a game?” 

His voice interrupted her mild pity party. She turned her focus to him. “What kind of game?”

“Rock Paper Scissors. Nanako taught me.” He smiled. “It'll distract you.”

“What do you know about distractions? You're never present anyway.” 

His ears drooped slightly. He thought of the horrible nightmare, of the other young animal demons finding their deaths by being eaten by Shadows, and of Saki, partially transformed into a squirrel demon, most likely terrified, and ultimately not surviving an encounter with her own Shadow. Despite this, he kept the smile, staying brave for her. He liked having her around –he liked having everyone around—and he'd keep smiling if it meant he wouldn't be alone. “You wanna play, or what?” He held out his closed fist, ready to start the game. 

The air seemed different between them. He was hiding something behind that smile, but she couldn't tell what. Still, what could a simple childhood game hurt? She matched his starting point with his. “Rock paper scissors!” 

She chose rock. 

He chose paper. 

* * * *  
Naoto lead them through town to the street she'd gone down the night before, and stopped in front of the apartment complex. The delivery truck was gone, though a fresh oil stain on the pavement suggested it lingered there a short time ago. 

“Dammit, we just missed them.” Kanji kicked a can across the street.

“No,” Naoto looked up to the gate and the apartment beyond. “We didn't. They were going to meet each other somewhere, so Mitsuo is on foot.”

“Let's split up,” Yu gestured to Kanji, Naoto, and Rise. “Naoto, do you remember the name of the company for the truck?” 

She shook her head. “No. It was dark. I didn't get a good look."

“Ok. You guys check out any delivery companies in town. Yukiko and I will try to find Mitsuo. Let's meet at the shrine around...say 1?”

Chie barked at him, asking why they couldn't spend the whole day searching.

“Because,” Naoto answered. “You and Yosuke need to try to look Human before tomorrow morning. You both need time for practice and recovery.”

Chie frowned. She hated timed projects. 

“I think I can help with finding this company,” Rise stretched her arms over her head. “I've always been pretty good with directions, plus I think it's the same place that delivers goods to my grandmother's shop.” Her voice disappeared in the distance as the three discussed their plan of action.

Everyone moved off with their appointed group. 

“You're really getting into this 'leader' thing, aren't you.” Yukiko noted lightly.

Yu shrugged. “I'm just trying to make the best possible choice out of all of the options given.” 

“So, 'Leader,'” she clasped her hands behind her back, “how are we going to find this guy anyway?”

That was a very good question. At first, he thought he could ask Chie to try to sniff him out, but decided against it, afraid he'd insult her. He could ask Yosuke to do the same, but that risked exposing both animal demons to the prying eyes of Inaba. In truth, he just wanted some alone time with Yukiko. He figured he'd come up with a plan after accomplishing the first agenda, though thought he'd have more time to think it over. “If he lives in the area, then there should be someone around here who would recognize him. Maybe someone saw which way he went.” 

Yukiko hummed approvingly and glanced away, hoping her long hair would hide the faint blush coloring her cheeks. 

They moved from store to store, showing the picture of Mitsuo to those within. A ramen shop owner pointed them in the direction of the shopping district. They both took a break to drink a Dr. Salt –which they each shared with Yosuke and Chie. A half hour later, another man browsing a tea shop said he'd spotted someone matching Mitsuo's description running toward the Samegawa flood plain. Both teenagers thanked the man and jogged down the street. They stopped in front of the Moel gas station to catch their breath. 

“You guys need a hand with something?”

Yu turned to face the station, and the grinning attendant who'd spoken up. 

“Oh, hey, it's you. Bored with his town yet?” 

He seemed familiar. It took a moment for Yu to remember the man who'd offered him a job the first day he'd arrived in Inaba. Shortly after, he'd had the most powerful short-lived headache of his life. He held out his phone. “We're looking for a friend. Have you seen him?”

The silver-haired attendant leaned forward, rubbing his jaw in thought. “Yeah, I've seen him in this area lots of times before.” 

Yosuke's ears twitched. A spike of cold shot through his core, causing his ears to pull completely back. He sat up straight, wide eyed, and frozen in place. As he listened to the high tenor voice, his tiny fists began to tremble. His tail gradually fluffed out. 

The attendant continued. “Those solid black eyes are too unique to forget. He's kind of a weird kid. He doesn't talk much, but when he does, it's like he's talking right through you.”

Chie noticed his complete change of character. She was about to ask what was wrong when he suddenly pinned her against the bottom of the bag and pressed his hand over her mouth. Her eyes shot wide open, and she yipped behind his palm. However, she quieted when he put a finger to his lips in a sharp manner to tell her to be quiet. She could feel his hand quivering against her skin, and his breathing quickened. Whoever this person outside was, it was someone who petrified him. 

She sniffed the air lightly. No, it wasn't entirely fear. It was something else mixed with...

...Anger.

And it was getting worse. She grabbed his wrist and tried to tell him through looks only not to go out there or to do anything stupid. But mostly to get off of her. He looked to be on the edge of either screaming, or making an equally idiotic move that would endanger them all.   
“Run,” Yosuke's shaky whisper pushed through grit teeth. “Run, Yu. Run...”

“Can you tell us which way he went?” Yukiko asked the attendant.

Yu could sense something was making his animal demon crazily nervous; close to a freak-out point. He kept his expression neutral. Instead of pocketing the phone like he'd normally do, he slid it into the bag where the two demons remained hidden from view.

Chie watched the phone drop next to them –still lit with the screen capture of Mitsuo's emotionless stare, bathing them all in a blue light—then to Yu's giant hand as he rested his palm gently against the fox's back. The jagged edge of panic and severity instantly faded from Yosuke's eyes. He stopped shaking. His breath evened out, and she felt his grip over her mouth loosen. Slowly, his hand fell lazily away and he sat back into the support, exhaling. 

The phone went dark. 

Yosuke's ears drooped as he crossed his left hand over to wrap around Yu's fingers. 

Chie sat there, speechless at what she was witnessing. She thought back to the last time they were at the gazebo discussing Saki's appearance on the Midnight Channel, and the discovery of her body that morning. Her friend's palm had remained on Yosuke's back the whole time, but she hardly regarded it as more than a comforting gesture between friends. Until this moment, she'd had no idea what else he'd been doing. Yu had calmed down the fox demon enough for him to maintain control over himself. And he was doing the same thing right now. She was watching the bond in action. 

“He went down the street that way, toward the flood plain a few minutes ago,” The attendant cheerfully volunteered. “If you hurry, you can probably catch up.”

Yosuke's grip tightened over his Human's fingers. Don't let him take me back, he thought. He couldn't transform, or use his wind skill to defend himself. If that man decided he'd made a mistake in abandoning him at the shrine, there was nothing he could do right now to stop him. The world as he knew it would be destroyed. He turned so his cheek pressed into his Human's wrist. In turn, Yu's thumb moved over the others ear in a 'calm down' motion. 

It was a gesture Chie had used with her own dog when Muku started barking at thunder, or at a neighborhood cat. 

“Thanks,” Yu said. “What's your name?” 

“Daisuke.” 

Yu nodded again, and turned with Yukiko to walk away. 

“Hey, let me know if you're interested in that job. We still have an opening.” 

Curiosity claimed her control. Chie risked turning around to stand and look out behind them through the loop at the top of the bag. The attendant watched them until they rounded a corner. As he did, his kind customer service demeanor shifted to that of someone with knowledge and power, as the smile no longer held simply the willingness of a servant, but mystery. He held up one hand and waved, locking eyes with Chie.

She gasped and shrank back down into the bag. If she could ever find out what he did to her friend, she'd drop-kick him across town in one shot. There was something different about that attendant that eluded her, but apparently not Yosuke. She'd never seen him behave like that before. Anything he did, she could handle. That wasn't the problem. What worried her was the kind of person that could elicit that strong of a reaction.

Chie touched his knee lightly, since he was sitting cross-legged in front of her. “Who was that?”

Yosuke blinked slowly, licked his dry lips, and spoke. “The silver-haired man.”

She didn't really know the history behind his description, but she had to ask anyway. “Are you ok?” 

The little fox demon gave her a small grin with a yip that he was fine, and that it was no big deal.

She could tell the answer was meant to placate her. The smile was fake, too. 

She knew this, because he hadn't let go of Yu's fingers at all.


	16. 16th Scent: Breaking and Entering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chie is having problems getting her change skill to work, so she stows her pride and asks a certain fox-boy for help.

16th SCENT: BREAKING AND ENTERING

\----A few minutes later...----

The river flowed lazily through the Samegawa flood plain on its ancient course through the valley. Water burbled against the rocks along the beach, thin shafts of sunlight speared through the clouds onto the water, and a cool breeze rustled the leaves of trees flanking the top of the wide stone stairs leading to where they now stood. All in all, it was a beautiful Sunday begging to be enjoyed. Save for the two teenagers, the recreational area was void of life.

The two looked down the shore in both directions, and squinted to see the other side, but saw no one else. The two animal demons crawled out of the school bag to stretch and take in some fresh air.

"I guess we really did miss them," Yukiko sighed. Her hand deftly brushed her windswept hair away from her face.

Yu looked around, absorbing the early noon scene. Sometimes people would bring their children here to play in the water, or have a picnic, but today didn't seem to be one of those days. Why people weren't out making the most of it, he didn't know. "Hopefully Naoto, Kanji, and Rise had better luck."

He glanced to the little fox smiling as he let the water flow around his ankles. Something about the gas station attendant had sent Yosuke into a panic attack.

"What was that all about back there?" Chie asked in his language, pushing up the sleeves of her sweater. "Who's the silver-haired man?"

Yosuke looked to her, then up to Yu and Yukiko, knowing two of them expected an answer. His Human already knew. Might as well come out and say it, then apologize for his over reaction. First he spilled the beans to the dog demon, then to his friends. "He's the one who dumped me at the shrine."

"The one who told you to stay in the box?" Yukiko frowned slightly.

Yosuke nodded. "Yeah. I don't really remember his face, but I'd know his voice anywhere. I heard him speak more often than I saw him. He kept the box closed most of the time."

"That's why you had a massive freak-out attack," Chie said. "What exactly were you afraid of? He didn't know we were there."

Yosuke stayed quiet as he sat down to pull on his shoes. A quick memory sparked in his mind of a day when he'd awakened in the box. Light from outside bled through the brown folds above him. He'd stood, and stretched to push them open. They wouldn't give. He'd shoved with all of his strength, even went to the side and tried to pull down an edge. He'd succeeded in letting in more light, but wasn't able to squeeze through. He'd cried to be let out, punched and kicked the cardboard walls until he was panting from exertion. His efforts hadn't even made a tear. He'd flopped back onto the towels to look at the slip of light allowed into his dark prison and rolled to his side, clutching the cotton fabric in his fist. He'd begged to be let out. Whatever he'd done to deserve this, he was sorry. He wouldn't do it again. He just wanted out. He wanted companionship and sunlight. He wanted to run. The cat was gone, and he thought someone else should have been there, too, but he couldn't quite remember. It didn't matter that the towels were soft, and the food and water was always fresh. All he knew was that he had been left alone. The attendant showed up a while later to let him run around the back room and stretch. This would happen a few times a day, but he soon found himself back in the box with fresh towels, food, and water. Regardless of the words of comfort to not worry, he would still be left alone in the dark inside the closed box. Shortly after, he'd fall asleep. This went on repeatedly for days.

Yosuke shook out his ears and stretched his arms over his head. "It's dumb. I overreacted," he yipped to her. "Let's just forget about it and try to find Mitsuo. We've got to get you back to normal before someone tries to take you to the pound." Chie's foot slammed into his stomach. "Oomph! My spleen..."

Yosuke wore his emotions too openly to be a good liar. Yu knew this simply because of the others behavior. Somehow, the attendant had been able to give the fox demon a command before he'd been named, most likely kept him in that box before hand, and abandoned him to the fury of a storm. He would bet anything that Yosuke's anger was born from those hours, and that his fear came from the possibility of being taken back to that setting.

There was no way in Tartarus he'd let that happen.

If the attendant was directly involved with the animal demons, then he could still be involved with Mitsuo.

The alarm on his watch went off. He clicked it to silent. "Let's meet back up with the others. We can work on you two changing back before tomorrow."

"I'm not getting back in that thing with the Ice Queen," Yosuke jabbed a finger at their ride.

"Chie," Yukiko eased. "Remember to be civil to him, ok? It's only for a little while, then we'll head back to the inn."

It took a moment to decipher her friend's words, but the message was clear. Chie's tail brushed back and forth with irritation. She let her agreement out in a quick, 'yarf,' and crawled into the bag.

Yosuke eyed the bag, then up to Yu. "Do I have to? Her breath smells like onions and she keeps kicking me."

"For the last time, it was a breakfast burrito! Hoshi's cooking is amazing." Chie barked.

Yu shrugged. "Not unless you can use the Change skill right now."

Yosuke gave it his best shot. Ribbons of energy coiled around him, hiding his ears and tail, and increasing in height briefly before his focus scattered. The energy dissipated, leaving behind a panting, exhausted fox yokai. His ears drooped.

The little dog demon poked her head out of the bag. "Shut up, you big baby, and get your butt in here so we can leave."

"You heard the woman," Yu said. He smirked at the disgruntled pointing –a wordless swear of revenge- the other gave him the whole way into the school bag. "Good try, though." Once settled, he slung the bag over his shoulder.

Yukiko couldn't help but giggle at what she assumed was an argument of 'you move over,' 'no, you move over' spilling into the air.

Yosuke popped up out of the bag. “Can we stop for something to eat?”

“That sounds like a good idea.” He was pretty hungry himself. 

“We can get a beef bowl to go at Aiya's and they can share it,” Yukiko suggested.

The two climbed the stairs out of the flood plain and headed up to get lunch, then back to the park to meet up with the others.

* * * *  
\----Late that night...----

The door to the first floor bathroom slid open easily, even though it was pushed aside by two very tiny hands. Equally small bare feet stepped down into the room and over to a wooden tub resting on a bamboo pallet next to the bathtub. At last, the day and its trials were over. All he wanted to do was soak for a while before bed.

Only minutes before, he'd managed to use the Change skill for the 2nd time, and at that point, had finally accomplished altering his clothing instead of just himself. Being a fox felt more natural right now, since he'd have to change one more time before passing out upstairs. Yosuke was exhausted, sore, yet satisfied.

Hot, steamy water gushed from the faucet of the tub when he turned it on. He filled a child's green plastic sand bucket and poured the hot liquid into his own personal tub repeatedly until the level reached the stained water ring along the inside. His parents got his for him to bathe in before he'd learned to take Human form. It was small enough, that visitors who used this room would think it was part of the traditional Japanese decor. Sayaka would explain that it was for the animal demons of this valley. Because she'd follow it up with a lighthearted chuckle, everyone else would brush it off as a kitchy-cute idea and join in her mirth. They wouldn't ever know that she'd never once lied to them.

Yosuke left his clothes in a pile on the stone floor and sank into the steamy water. He scrubbed up with the small brush always left in the tub, set it aside when he finished, and slipped completely under the surface. A few seconds later, he popped back up, shook his wet hair out, and rested his head against a cushion. Clean, he closed his eyes as the suds removed the day. His ears relaxed to a contented sigh.

Most kids he saw on t.v rallied against bath time –the harbinger of doom, but he loved it. Dunking his head under, or letting the waterfall wash over his ears felt good. It always reminded him of the first time Yu cleaned him up in the Dojima kitchen sink. He'd smile at the memory every time he'd hear his mother tell him it was time to take a bath. Often, he would already be in the tub, smiling happily as she poured water over his head.

Nanako's lilting laughter around the words, 'Good job. He'll be clean in no time,' rang through his mind again, as it did every time.

For some reason, his parents kept the tub after he'd transformed. He was glad they did.

He settled down so the water reached his chin.

Aside from the sounds of the water, the house was completely silent. Tonight was possibly the first time he didn't mind being alone. He knew he'd go to school tomorrow and see everyone again. They were in their own homes sleeping, or getting in last minute studying, and he was o.k. with that. There were people out there who wanted to see him, so he wasn't alone anymore.

He thought about Chie. Was she able to change back tonight? She'd run out of time, and if she didn't show up at school, her parents would tell the police department that she was missing. If she couldn't return to her normal height, people would start asking around about her whereabouts, they'd start snooping into their business and possibly find out about himself and Naoto. They'd bust down his door and drag him away to a laboratory somewhere where he'd never see Naoto, or Yu, or the others again. 

Every science fiction movie he'd seen said so.

He'd be put back into a box and taken away.

The silver-haired man's grinning face looking down at him flashed in his minds eye briefly. He let out a slight gasp of surprise at the vivid image and sat up to look out the closed bathroom door. The house was quiet. He was still the only living thing in it. Upset at his reaction, he leaned back again with his eyes closed. Why did he have to be so jumpy? True, it had been one hell of a weekend. He just needed to relax and forget about the silver-haired man and Mitsuo for tonight. They'd go looking for him again tomorrow after school like they'd planned at the gazebo. For now, he was safe. At least it wasn't that nightmare again, which surprised him considering what happened on Friday night.

His right ear twitched at the sound of footsteps running across the living room carpet. That made him open his eyes again. His parents shouldn't be home until tomorrow night, and he'd made sure the front door was locked. It wasn't Yu. The other had left an hour ago. No one else had a key, or knew where the spare was stashed in the front yard. He sat up and turned nervously toward the sound of the door sliding against the wooden frame.

"Wah!" He screamed.

"Ah!" Chie mirrored the scream.

"Dude!" His fluffed out tail wrapped tightly around his torso.

"Oh my god!" She slammed the door shut.

"Chie?!"

"Sorry! Sorry!"

"How'd you get in my house?!"

"Put some pants on!"

"I'm taking a bath!"

"Find a towel or something!"

"You don't just barge in on people!"

"I said was sorry, ok?!" She kept her back to the door with her eyes scrunched shut.

Yosuke climbed out the tub with a grumble and wrapped a white cotton wash cloth around his middle, tying it off. There went his relaxing evening. He shoved the door aside angrily. "What are you doing here?" he snarled.

Chie risked opening her eyes. The half naked, dripping wet fox demon glared at her with his arms crossed and his ears flat in irritation. "I came in through the laundry room window. I didn't know which room you were in and this was the first door I checked."

That particular window was the kind where you opened it like a set of horizontal blinds. She must have climbed up and squeezed through. His shock and anger subsided when he noticed no one accompanied her. "Where's Yukiko?"

"At the inn. I came here on my own." She bit her lip and chewed over the words as she smoothed out her tail, "I...I... Ineedyourhelp."

One ear straightened forward. "I'm sorry. I didn't catch that."

She exhaled heavily. "I need your help."

Stunned, he simply stared at her for a moment. "What for?"

Her head dipped as she tried to keep her hands from shaking. She'd run all the way here from the Inn, avoiding prying eyes, other animals, people, and traffic. The distance between the Amagi Inn and the Hanamura residence might as well have been ten miles. Thankfully, it was a clear night, and the moon had provided more than enough light for her to see. Still, being that small running through her home town in the dark frightened her. And she did it out of desperation. She clenched her fists. "I can't change back."

Yosuke blinked.

"I tried," she continued. "I was able to change long enough to call my parents and tell them where I was before I lost control. Yukiko helped me by saying what I needed to say first so I could repeat it. I couldn't change again. I waited for her to fall asleep, then snuck out." She looked up. "I know you suck at it, but you have to help me. If I don't change back by tomorrow..."

He knew what she was thinking. But that last comment made him scrunch up his face slightly in annoyance. "Tch. I changed twice tonight already." Her brown eyes remained on him, exuding hope and need, and her ears pulled forward. He'd given Yu the same look that fateful night at the shrine where one simple decision to take a short cut ended with a life-changing action. That night, Yosuke had begged a stranger to take him away from that box. The other had had the kindness of heart to save his life.

"Please, Yosuke."

Which meant he –as his animal demon—should do the same. He was also sure he would never hear those words come out of Chie's mouth in that order ever again. "Ok. Lemme get dressed." He went back into the bathroom and shut the door.

Moments later, the two were standing on the floor of his room.

"Why are we in your stinky bedroom for this?"

"Because if you break something downstairs, it's not as easy to hide, and I don't own that much stuff yet."

Sure enough, he had a bed, a television, a side table, clothes in the closet, a dresser, a desk with standard desk supplies, a few stuffed animals, a yellow ball, a stuffed frog on the bed near the pillow, a trash can full of balled up paper, some posters on the wall, a pile of CDs near a stereo system, his headphones and MP3 player, his computer, and a shelf with books and trinkets on it. She recognized a few of them, since she and her friends would bring him items to help him become more Human. Then there were a few things his parents bought that she hadn't seen before.

A pile of large fruit bars sat next to them.

"Ok, I'll go first." The first time he'd managed to successfully pull off this trick, Yu had been downstairs as support with is parents. Yosuke had asked that he have some privacy. However, that request was completely tossed when he'd stumbled downstairs and lodged himself in the refrigerator to eat everything he could find. The thought to put on clothes before leaving his room hadn't crossed his mind. Thankfully, his mom had hastily thrown a trench coat over him. The incident, however, remained near the top of his 'most embarrassing moments' list.

"It usually helps to not think about anything first. It's like exhaling. In fact, doing that first helps, too." He put his focus into the skill, took a deep breath, and willed his power to 'activate' the command. There really was no other word for it. If he wanted to do it, he had to make it happen. The energy swirled within his center, spread through his arms and legs in the span of a thought, and exploded around him in faint green ribbons tinted orange. They wrapped around him completely, as though he were in the middle of a small cyclone, and stretched with his command. He could see through it clearly and made sure to keep his clothing in mind the entire time. The room shrank, as did the surprised dog demon, and he clenched his fists to hold the power. It pulled from his core like breathe, making him lightheaded. He felt his ears and tail disappear, and nearly broke his concentration in panic –which always happened at this point in the process.

He let go once he felt the skill was complete and inhaled sharply. It was an automatic reaction when the energy dissipated. The entire change took no more than three seconds. He dropped heavily into a slouched sitting position on the floor. The third time was easier than the previous two, but he was now even more exhausted than before, and hungry. Two fruit bars were instantly devoured.

He looked down at the little dog demon, who stared up at him with wide brown eyes, and smiled slightly. "See? Easy. You try it."

Chie nodded quickly and stood straight. She closed her eyes, clenched her fists, but then opened both again. She pointed at the bed.

"Hm?" He looked behind him. "Ah, Right." As much as he liked the female form, this was Chie. Not a girl. He grabbed the faded red blanket from the bed and draped it over her.

Chie sat down as the world went dark. Taking his advice, she focused on the skill and did exactly what he instructed her to do. The energy came to life around her in a light blue haze the same as it did to Yosuke. Her effort broke when she felt her ears and tail hiding by the power, and her concentration failed. She panted from the exertion, though blinked when a fruit bar pushed under the blanket to her.

"It's ok if you don't get it right the first time," he said. "Remember you're not actually losing anything. Just changing forms."

He was right. She couldn't give up. Yukiko was counting on her, and she herself had run out of time. Chie ate the bar quickly, took a deep breath and tried again.

Yosuke leaned heavily against the side of the bed and watched the blanket start to form over a person, then flatten out over the lump of dog demon beneath. Chie tried three more times to change forms, though each one failed. The pile of fruit bars diminished. He refilled them from the stash downstairs in the kitchen and resettled against the bed. The minutes ticked toward midnight, and he yawned loudly. He was almost asleep when he heard a light frustrated sobbing.

"I can't."

"Sure you can," he yawned. "Just keep-"

"If you tell me to keep trying one more time, I'm going to bite your fingers off!" he heard her snap from her shelter.

"Fine. Whatever. It's midnight. I'm going to bed." He flopped onto the bed face down into the pillow.

An uncomfortable silence filled the room, though after a while, he could hear her sniffles again. There was a right thing to do in this moment, and a wrong thing. She'd come to him for help, after all, when she could have gone to Naoto. On top of that, she'd willingly left her Bonded so early in their connection to seek him out. That decision had to be affecting her, thus her energy. He knew from experience that it was physically painful to be so far away from the one who'd named him. Despite how tired he was, he'd also made a promise a long time ago to live up to his name.

He moved back to the floor to lay on his belly, and slipped his right arm under the blanket.

Chie rubbed at her eyes as two giant fingers rested over her outstretched hand. He was still trying to help regardless of her threat. She wanted more than anything to be back at the inn on that pillow asleep in Yukiko's room. The sense of separation was staggering, and reflected only one other instance in her life: when she had to leave her mom and dad behind for her first day of school. She had to change –for Yukiko, and for everyone.  
She turned her palm up to hold onto his fingers. Focusing, she tightened her grip, cleared her mind, and willed the skill to complete.

Energy 'wooshed' around the blanket as it pulled over a Human form. She felt her ears and tail disappear, and grit her teeth against the urge to let the energy drop. Her grip over Yosuke's hand tightened as her own became big enough to do so.

He watched the energy die down, and her hand relaxed in his. She breathed heavily beneath the covering, yet she didn't revert back to an animal demon. She'd succeeded.

Carefully, he slid his hand out from under hers and stood. The bottoms of her feet stuck out from beneath the blanket. That was when it hit him like a hammer to the head.

There was a naked girl on his floor.

Even if it was Chie.

He quickly scrambled into his parents bedroom, running into the hallway wall twice. It had been a few days since he'd seen the world from his Human height, that it took a moment to readjust his perception. He hastily dug through his mother's closet, and pulled out a long off white tank top dress. Sayaka would often wear this around the house if she didn't want to bother with going out. It flowed prettily around her despite its simplicity. He snatched a long, oversized maroon colored sweater from its hanger, and rushed back to his room.

Chie hadn't moved. She was sound asleep.

He set the clothes on his desk chair and bent to scoop her up off the floor –blanket and all. She was heavier than she looked. Must be all that steak she loved so much. She murmured something as she was lifted and placed gently on the bed. Sure, he could have let her be on the floor, but it was a cold night and she'd been through a lot. He didn't know how resilient animal demons were to illness since he'd never had a cold before and he had no one to ask, but he knew that Humans could get sick if they got too cold.

The blanket slipped down over her head. The dog ears were gone, replaced by Human ears that separated strands of her short blond hair. He knew it was a trick of the skill. She was finally asleep. Which meant he could finally get some rest.

Then it hit him. Again.

There was a naked girl in his bed.

...Even if it was Chie.

This would make an awesome story if he could ever tell anyone. He backstepped quietly, and left the room with the door standing open. How many times did his life have to suck in a weekend?

Yosuke stretched out on the couch downstairs, glanced to the clock that read a few minutes after midnight, and started to compose a text to Yu. However, he didn't make it that far and passed out with the phone dangling from his hand.

* * * *  
\----July 11th. Monday. After the most awkward morning in the history of mornings...----

"You did it!" Yukiko ran out of the Amagi inn to hug her best friend excitedly. "I'm glad you're all right. When I woke up and you weren't there, I got worried."

Chie hugged her back, smiling. She was happy to be with her best friend again, and felt an overwhelming sense of relief. Even if she couldn't understand more than a few words, the meaning was clear. "I..." she tried, hoping the change came with an immediate understanding of her own language. "happy...be...um... n, normal."Yukiko chuckled. 

"It's ok. We'll work on it." She looked her up and down. "That's a different look for you."

Chie pulled at the sweater, then thumbed to Yosuke behind her, trying to say that he was the one who paired this fashion monstrosity. She yelped when Yukiko snared her hand and hauled her back inside.

"You can borrow one of my spare uniform skirts, and your jacket is still inside."

"Hey," Yu walked up as the girls rushed away. "What did I miss?"

"Chie's back to looking like a Human," Yosuke stated bluntly.

"Good. I was a little worried."

The two waited for their friends to return. With Chie now sporting the more familiar girls uniform with her jacket, the four made the hike in to school. Everyone could tell she was ecstatic to be back to seeing the world from a familiar height, and moving among the populace of Inaba without fear.

She stopped at the gate to Yasogami High and swallowed nervously. It hadn't occurred to her before that she would have to face the teacher, possibly answer questions, or respond to the other students. Being the quiet one in the back wasn't in her nature. Students moved past her within their bubbles of gibberish conversation. She clutched at the collar of her jacket as if it would give her a level of understanding the change skill could not. She may look Human, but nothing about her situation was any different. On the inside, she was still an animal demon.

Yukiko stopped as the guys continued on ahead. "Chie?"

She turned toward her friend, and felt the worry start to fade. The taller girl simply being there gave her the strength to move on. She answered with a slight smile, determined to not let this beat her, and entered school grounds.

A faint gasp forced Yukiko to slow her pace and her hand pressed against her mouth. She blinked repeatedly, but they were still there -Chie's tail and ears were slightly transparent, but visible. She remembered telling Yu not a few days ago that this was part of the link between an animal demon and their bonded. Although it was easy to read as notes of fact, experiencing it was a completely different story. How he managed to remain calm through this took an insane amount of control. If he was spooked at all, he never showed it.

The four of them blended with the flow of students to take their seats in class 2-2.

"Man, I'm kind of glad to be back," Yosuke dropped into his creaky old desk. "It's not so bad here. Just cut out all the studying, King Moron, and homework, and it's pretty cool. Right, Chie?" He smarmy grin faded when he noticed her staring at the wall. "Chie."

The dog demon's gaze remained glued to the black board with last weeks' notes still written in the corner. She recognized her name above the answer to a question, but she couldn't read it. Conversations buzzed around her, yet she could only pick out a few words here and there.  
She looked to him, bit her lip, and stared forward. Maybe coming back to school before she could understand her own language was a bad idea. Oh hindsight, how loathsome you could be.

The bell rang. Mr. Morooka broke into the school day with his usual pointless chomping rage about how much he detests the unappreciative brats at this school. A test was thrown to each student, and Yu, Yukiko, Yosuke, and Chie all realized with dread that they hadn't studied nearly enough all weekend. The only two who didn't seem to suffer too much were Yu and Yukiko.

Yosuke snapped a pencil in frustration.

However, the one who sweated in horror the most was obvious. Chie could hardly remember what happened last week, let alone test content, and the characters on the page made very little sense. Thanks to her friend's training, she could pick out meanings here and there, but nothing remotely close to what she needed. Her heart pounded heavily as she grabbed chunks of hair in her fist. The pencil quivered in her grip above the first question. _I don't know this._ Panic-fueled thoughts froze her concentration. _I don't know this at all! What does this say? I can't read this! How am I supposed to pass a test if I can't even read the questions or write more than my own name?_ Her hold over the change skill began to slip. _What am I going to do? I can't fail. I can't let anyone know what happened_ —

Her train of frantic thoughts ceased when she felt a comforting pressure cover her hand. She stared from Yukiko's touch to the back of her head. Her friend continued writing in her answers, facing forward, even as she tried to calm Chie down. Oddly, it was working. Her heart rate settled down, and the frantic thoughts bouncing around in her head came to rest. The skin beneath the contact point warmed from whispers of energy steadily pulling from the other, through her skin, and into her heart and mind. This must be what it was like for the fox demon whenever Yu needed to keep him from going over the edge, like yesterday at the gas station. She remembered the way he'd instantly relaxed and accepted it like a warm blanket. Is that what Yukiko was doing to her now? Did she realize what she was doing? Did she have any control over it, or did she just react from some other heightened sense? Her friend already had ways of convincing her not to react on pure instinct alone. This could be the same thing, but to a much, much stronger degree.

Yukiko moved her hand back to her own desk without a sound.

She'd already had a bond with her best friend since they were kids –having met over a puppy of all things. The irony wasn't lost on her at all. Chie exhaled at stared at her paper. Hopefully things would start to make sense soon.

Hopefully.


	17. 17th Scent: Relaxing Hot Springs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group takes an evening to relax. Naoto is tricked into going to the Amagi Inn only to find a secret party has been planned for herself and Yosuke. What is a birthday? Hot springs and lots of food are involved.

17th SCENT: RELAXING HOT SPRINGS

\----July 15th. That Friday after school...----

The Midnight Channel failed to show itself for a week, and the team found no sign of Mitsuo around town. Thankfully, no reports had crossed the news about bodies hanging upside down from telephone poles. Inaba was back to being a quiet, sleepy town. Maybe it was finally over.

Either way, Naoto had made it a point to keep a close watch on Namatame's activities during the week, so she'd taken to staking out the delivery company's office after school. She'd sit in a tree nearby every day watch him come and go. Rise and Kanji came by near dinner time with some take-out from Aiya's Chinese restaurant. "I brought your favorite," she'd smile as she'd hold up a plastic bag. Naoto's spirits always lifted whenever Kanji joined them for dinner. He'd sit crosslegged on the grass by her tree and slurp up his noodles and beef in relative silence. His presence made her feel like she could capture that one elusive, crucial clue to this case about who the dog demon's Bonded was. The two would eat mostly in silence, but occasionally there would be some light conversation between them. 

The pig-tailed girl always wore a smile. Sometimes the cat demon found it to be refreshing on these long evenings waiting for Namatame to return from a delivery. Naoto would tell them what she'd learned that day.

Each day brought the same predictable movements: Namatame would climb into his truck, check the jobs he had listed for the day on a clip board, set it on the side seat, close the door and drive away. When he returned, he would double check the clip board, and walk back inside. He'd rarely leave after that, which lead the little cat demon to believe he lived on the premises.

Mitsuo came by twice during the week. She followed him every time back to his apartment where he'd remain for the rest of the night. No one else came to see the delivery truck driver at all. Namatame's life was void of visitors. Although he saw people every day on his routes, Naoto thought she'd never seen anyone more alone. He reminded her of Adachi in that respect, and even Narukami. Though both were always surrounded by people, they would each smile with the same phony facade, as though they watched the world from behind a pane of glass: part of it, yet separate. She wondered if Namatame's smile was the same. She pitied him despite his involvement with the third demon from her box.

Her phone buzzed in her jacket pocket as the setting sun cast the last of its golden hue over the town. She was thankful she'd discovered technology still functioned when it changed with her command. Her navy-blue tail swished lazily as she opened the message. It was from Yukiko Amagi.

[Come to the Amagi Inn as soon as you can. It's important.]

Thinking it to be a warning, she pocketed the phone and slid down the tree trunk with her claws. She touched down lightly, and within three seconds, was waking away in her Human form. Her mother had told her she could start carrying a gun as soon as she completed her training in the Inaba police department's shooting range. If there was anything wrong at the Inn, she hoped it wouldn't be one of those cases where a threat fed by a firearm wasn't needed.

The sun had set by the time she reached the ancient Amagi Inn. Not much of the old building had been upgraded on the surface aside from a better television in the bar, and wifi in each room. It was a slice of old Japan famous for its hot springs, and Hoshi Takeyama's cooking. Or so she had read. She'd never actually been here before. In truth, there were lots of places in Inaba she'd never set foot in because all of her time was spent studying at the station. The Yamano and Konishi case was the first long-term she'd been on.

No sooner had she walked through the front door than Yukiko came rushing around the corner.

"Good, you're here!"

"What's wrong? I came as soon as I—Wah?!"

The taller girl snatched Naoto's wrist and pulled her quickly through the hall.

"Yukiko!" Naoto fought to keep up with her long-legged stride. Normally, her upperclassman was quiet, reserved, and well mannered. For a moment, she wondered if her friend had been possessed by a spirit or something.

"Chie!" Yukiko pulled open the door to one of the rooms. Directly behind it, as if waiting, stood her accomplice. Chie yanked her inside and quickly shut the door.

For a second, a ribbon of panic flared through Naoto. "What's going on? Will someone answer me?!" Soon after, the sound of a familiar voice headed her demand. The panic washed away.

"Sorry about the 'level twelve mystery,' but the girls figured there'd be no other way to get you here." Kanji stepped out of a room joined with the one they were in.

"Kanji?" Naoto narrowed her eyes. "What's the meaning of this? Is this your doing?"

"Calm your fur. It's just a party."

"A...party?" Naoto suddenly realized the two girls wore long robes. The flury of the moment must have blinded her to that important detail.

Rise joined them, looking cheerful in her robe and house slippers. "Well, more of a gathering than a party." She dug an article of clothing from her bag on a chair and tossed it to the detective prince. "You're a small, right? I had to guess, so I hope I got the right size."

Naoto held up the small robe like it was made of moldy cheese. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"You wear it, silly!" Rise snatched eh cat demon's hat away, exposing Naoto's navy-blue ears.

"Hey!" She made a futile swipe for her favorite piece, and cursed being vertically impaired.

Rise continued to play keep-away with the clothing accessory. "After the last week with all the searching and the stake-outs, and coming up with no leads, we all thought we could use a night to unwind." She planted her hand on Naoto's head." You, especially."

Naoto's ears dipped backward slightly in irritation. "Lose the hand, or lose...the hand."

Rise's smile faded. Taken aback, she slipped her hand away and let the angry cat demon be. “You're not very cuddly for a kitty, are you.”

"We probably could have found a better way to get you here, but this sounded like more fun. Haven't you ever been invited to a party before?" Chie asked.

"Why would I? I'm here to adapt to living as a Human, and solve this case with the third animal demon. I can't remember much beyond the past month, so if there were any parties in my history, I wouldn't know."

All three girls and Kanji stared at her in disbelief for a long, uneasy moment. "That's so sad," Yukiko pressed her hand over hear own heart. "You don't even know how old you are?"

Naoto sighed. "I appreciate what you guys are trying to do, but this-"

"-Is the best damned idea ever. So shut up and accept it." Kanji stood over the cat demon. "Humans hang out. It's what we do. If you want to adapt, then call this a learning experience." He stretched his arms over his head. "I'm gonna see if Yu and the Village Idiot showed up yet. Just, uh...try to enjoy yourself a little?" He knew what would happen next, and needed to leave the changing-of-Naoto to the professionals.

His words left her speechless, and oddly with an urge to comply. Even when her mother told her to go to sleep, or not to bother the other detectives at the station, she never felt this way. However, she always made an exception to bug the crap out of Adachi whenever possible, though. She turned back to the three girls staring her down like she was the latest super sale at Junes, and slid a foot back.

"Chie?" Yukiko folded her arms. "Would you kindly do the honors?"

Chie stepped forward waring a mischievous grin. Her tail and ears were completely visible. "Make this easy on yourself and just get dressed." Her brown eyes locked on her target. "We only have an hour to use the hot springs.”

Hot springs meant 'water.' They had to be crazy if they thought she'd willingly jump into a giant steaming pool of her arch nemesis. Her eyes snapped open sharply as the attacking dog demon pounced.

The room exploded into chaos.

"Stop moving so I can catch you!" Chie vaulted over a chair, knocking it over.

"That's not making this better!" Naoto shot back. Energy coiled around her at her thought.

"She's changed size! She's under the couch!" Rise exclaimed.

"Not for long she ain't!" With teeth bared in mirth at the chase, she joined the other on her own terms. A quick bounce around the furniture, and she'd cut the cat demon off on the other side.

"Now she's under the table!"

"You're making a big deal out of this, Naoto. Hot springs are relaxing." She tried, but Yukiko's attempt couldn't stand against the cat demon-versus-dog demon chase.

"They're made of water! There's not way you're gonna-Ah!" Naoto hissed as Chie's small demon form slammed her to the floor and pinned her arms to the tatami mat. "Let go!" If she could free one hand, she could claw her way out of this fiasco.

Chie struggled to keep her pinned to the tatami, sliding a wary glance to the curved claws extended from the cat demon's hands. Because she sat on the other's chest, the tiny sharp daggers on her toes couldn't reach. "Call it a chance to work through your fear. I almost drowned in that hot spring and I'm still going in. Man up, Detective Prince."

"I don't wanna!" Naoto meowed loudly.

Yukiko dropped to her hands and knees next to the two small animal demons. "Hoshi's making dinner for everyone. There's going to be California rolls."

The fight in her wavered. "...California rolls?"

The older girl exhaled in relief that the little cat-girl had calmed down. "Yes. And lots of food. She'll have it ready when we're done with the hot springs."

Naoto's tail flicked as she considered all the pros and cons of complying with their wishes. Honestly, she was a little tired, and could use the rest. Plus, a good meal didn't sound so bad. Maybe she could withstand a few grueling moments around water in order to enjoy what would most likely be a very, very tasty meal. She stopped struggling. "Fine. You get five minutes. Now get off me!" She hissed at Chie.

The other 2nd year student stood and returned to her normal Human self. It still took a fare amount of energy to do so, but after practicing for a week, she'd become a little better.

Naoto transformed, and –still frowning—undressed and put the robe on. She tied the belt around her waist. If she was going to do this, there'd better be a feast waiting when she got back.

* * * *  
Moments later, the four of them entered the outdoor hot springs. Everyone stepped into the water with sighs of contentment. Except for Naoto, who lingered near the edge out of obligation, staring scrupulously at her mortal enemy.

"Come on in! The water's great." Chie dunked under water, than shot back up, happily shaking water from her hair and ears.

Naoto grimaced at the shower of water droplets and wiped them from her face. "And now I smell like a wet dog."

'C'mon, I know you'll like it. It feels wonderful. You said 5 minutes." Rise whined. 

She did make a promise. Regretting even opening her mouth, Naoto carefully slipped one foot into the water as though she were dipping her toes into a bubbling vat of lard. It was warm, and something within the water tingled on her skin. Maybe a few minutes of this wouldn't hurt. She risked standing ankle high on the first step, and took a breath for one more step, when...

The quick thumping of feet against the floor outside stabbed into her hearing. An excited laugh accompanied it, followed by a 'woosh' of energy that could only belong to one other creature in Inaba. Her eye twitched. One second later, her bravery of attempting the hot springs shattered.

"Hot springs! Hot springs! Hot springs! Woohoohoo!" Yosuke sprinted into the room with his ears and tail pushed back by the wind of his speed, and leaped high into the air. He curled into a rust and white furred ball and canon-balled the water with a loud 'sploosh!'

Naoto cried out as the force of it drenched her. For someone that small, he made an uncannily huge splash.

Yosuke resurfaced. "Oh yeah! This is great." It was then that he noticed the three girls in the pool were staring at him, and each wearing an expression of either shock or outright anger. He blinked at them as he tread water. The liquid and steam covered them, but he was sure they weren't wearing anything else. A small smile barely began to curl up the edges of his mouth.

The four—including Naoto—screamed at once. "GET OUT OF HERE!"

"You little pervert!" Yukiko covered herself.

"Yosuke!" Rise was disgusted, but couldn't bring herself to throw him out of the water. "Oh, I can't kick out something that cute."

"I can," Chie snarled as she sloshed through the water over to the animal demon.

Yosuke felt the water around her cool as she approached.

Enraged, she grabbed him by the tail and hauled him out of the water. "Heerrraaaah!" She ignored his yelp of pain and surprise as she launched him across the room like a shotput right at the open door.

Yu ran in just in time to play catch. "Ah!" The impact slammed him hard to the floor.

"Peeping is a crime!" Naoto yelled.

Stunned, he rolled with the fox demon just in time to avoid getting a face full of a wooden bucket chucked by the girls.

"Narukami?!" Yukiko gasped. "You, too?! Ah! Get out!"

"Retreat!" He scrambled to pull the door closed right after another bucket hit the back wall.

He'd chased his excited friend down the hall trying to stop him, but hadn't expected to have said friend literally thrown back into his face. "I said the indoor hot springs."

Yosuke clutched the base of his tail in pain and uttered something that might have been an explanation for his actions in his language, but it was hardly intelligible. This was the first spring he could smell.

Yu had just spoken to Kanji in the lobby to get their room number, so he set the fox-boy down and moved quickly away from the springs to avoid any further attacks. The complaints of his friend waddling behind him drifted around them, like he suffered from a bad case of saddle sores. It was his own fault. Maybe this would teach the fox-boy to look first before leaping into anything. He quickly settled in to the robe supplied by the inn, and poured himself a cup of tea.

Yosuke changed out of his wet clothes carefully, and into the oversized robe that acted more like a blanket. He flopped face first onto a pillow with a drawn out whine. "My tail."

Yu searched the room for a first aid kit, found one in the bathroom, and tended to his injured animal demon. "You kinda asked for it." He said flatly. He set half of a pain killer on the pillow next to him along with a small paper cup filled with water.

The little fox picked up the broken pill in one hand and turned it over curiously.

"It'll stop the pain." He explained. The bottle said to give half of one to a child, but of course, everything was a guessing game when it came to creatures that weren't supposed to exist. He pulled the paper away from a bandaid and proceeded to wrap it around the base of the fox's tail.

Yosuke yelped loudly.

"Sorry. Your fur got stuck on the adhesive."

Yosuke grumbled and crunched up the pill, though the flavor made him scrunch up his face in disgust. "Yuuuuuch!" He quickly chugged water, and murmured an argument against anyone willingly asking to get hurt.

Kanji stepped through their door a few minutes later and slid it closed. "Man, the girls are pissed. What happened?" He eyed Yosuke lying on a bed pallet with a bandage wrapped around the base of his tail. He looked like he was about to cry, or already did.

"I swear I didn't know they were in there. Something covered up their scent." Yosuke muttered.

Kanji's fists clenched in rage. "You didn't see anything, did you, you little punk?"

The other eyed his bare feet, focused on his power, and returned to Human form bringing the bandaid with him –still staring at his feet. "Not even a nip. Nothing good ever happens!" He flopped forward into the pillow. Pain throbbed through his tail, deliberately kept visible with his ears. "Ow."

Yu took a sip of his tea. "It was probably the minerals in the water. This pamphlet says they're supposed to have a cleansing, medicinal affect, so it could have masked their smell."

Kanji changed into his robe, and glanced at the other guest. "You're dressed already? Man, you settled in fast."

Yu sipped his tea and reclined in the chair. "It's not often I get to enjoy something this nice. I'm making full use of my experience here."  
"Knock yourself out. I'm taking the long way to the indoor springs," Kanji opened the door and put on the house slippers. "It's safer that way." He closed it behind him.

Yu headed for the door, slipping a glanced back to the sullen animal demon. "Now you have a reason to use the spring. You coming?"  
The other grumbled, but stood. He hoped these magical waters held restorative healing powers for a strained tail.

* * * *  
After a relaxing and restorative soak in the hot springs –each one taking their turn in both the indoor and outdoor venues, the group met up back in their joined rooms. They left the door open between them so they could push the table from the other room into the girls area. Apparently, Rise had a game idea after dinner, and needed the extra space in the boys' room for her plan. She wouldn't say what it was, but did promise it would be fun. Eating here would be safer than the main hall, or a private dining room where the walls were actually paper thin. At least here, the animal demons could be themselves.

The pamphlet Yu read from was correct after all, because Yosuke's tail no longer felt like someone had run over it with a car.

The three guys staked out a table near the balcony door to play a round of poker –or rather, teaching Yosuke how to play-, and the four girls rested in chairs around the room. Everyone had changed back into their normal clothes. Room service was kind enough to clean them while they were out, at the request of the manager's daughter.

Yukiko held up an open fan to get everyone's attention, and waited for the conversations to settle down. "Thanks for coming, everyone. I'm glad you could make it."

"I've never been in here before now," Yosuke said to no one in particular. "It's neat, and it feels old. Like, really old." He eyed the ceiling, struck with a sudden idea. "Like yokai live here, too."

"There's no such things as yokai," Naoto stated. “...and I don't think we qualify.”

"Like you'd know in the month we've been here," Yosuke put his cards down.

“You guys can do stuff people can't, so you're Yokai by that definition.” Kanji slammed his palm over them, jolting the other back in his chair. "You're not supposed to show your entire hand, you idiot!"

Yu calmly folded his cards. There was no way he could beat the clueless fox's royal flush.

Yukiko hummed lightly in that lilting way of hers. "Maybe there are. It's been in my family for generations, so it is pretty ancient." She leaned back on her hands. "Who know what went on here in all those years? I wouldn't be surprised if some of my ancestors still came by to pay us a visit."

The fox demon's gaze flicked from corner to corner, looking anxiously for anything creepy lurking in the corners and crevasses. "Then," his voice quivered, "...something could be watching us.. right now, ...and we wouldn't even know it."

The room thickened with silence, peppered only by the light needling of a new rain storm outside.

Chie's hand planted itself on her friend's shoulder. "Booooo-wahahaha!"

"WAH!" Yosuke's ears and tail fluffed out, and even his hair stood on end.

She chuckled and settled back onto her cushion. "You're so easy."

He bared his teeth and stood. "That wasn't funny!"

"Oh, um, I'm sorry, but that reminds me," Yukiko turned to her friend accepting the boy's challenge through stares. "I think there has to be an apology here, if you please. From both of you."

"What? Why? That's not fair! She hurt me, and I'm supposed to say 'I'm sorry?' For what?"

Naoto's eyes bore straight through his head. "Peeping."

"...I swear, I didn't know—" He paused, then sighed. They were his friends, and he'd learned from Yu that if you wanted to keep the peace, sometimes you had to bow to someone else in order to move on and drop the subject, even if you were right. He grit his teeth. "I'm sorry."

Satisfied, Yukiko's attention next went to her long-time friend and let an insistent smile delicately paint her face. "Well, Chie?"

The dog demon's victorious smirk vanished. "Huh? Me? No way! He's the one who tried to get an eye full of the four of us." She folded her arms tightly across her chest.

Rise gestured loosely at the bandage. "You were kinda rough on him."

She hadn't meant to be that brutal, but Chie had to admit the fury of the moment ran away with her. Anger management continued to be a life-long issue constantly battled. Kung Fu helped to channel that emotion. She was much more in control than she was as a child. The others saw her eye twitch at the effort to press down her pride. "I'm sorry I threw you out the door by your tail." She muttered.

Again, the room swelled with an uncomfortable silence.

"Now that that's over," Naoto let her tail rest over her lap. "I was promised food for my troubles tonight."

"That's how they got you in here?" Yosuke arched an eyebrow at her. "Yu just told me what a hot spring was, and I wanted to see one for myself. There's not much to do in this town. Two months of living here, and I already feel like I've seen everything. Except a hot spring. But now I have. And now I'm bored again." Yosuke flopped onto the couch on his stomach. His tail still ached, so he tried to stay off of it. "So like you. "

She leaned back to look up at him with a out-turned ear. "No, that's not how they convinced me to come over."

"Hm. When we were in the box, giving you a handful of food always worked to keep your opinion to yourself."

She eyed him carefully. "You remember that?"

"It comes and goes." He muttered idly.

"So, why are we all here?" Yu put the train-wrecked topic back on its original track.

Yukiko smiled brightly and opened her mouth to explain when Rise leaned on the table with a sudden outburst. "It's a party for those two."

Yukiko eased her reason in smoothly without missing a beat. She was thrilled that her plan seemed to be working. "Since you can't remember much before you got two got here, and there's no way to tell how old you are, Rise, Kanji, and I thought today could be sort of like a...birthday for you guys."

Yosuke sat up, one ear turned slightly up in curiosity. "What's a 'birthday?'"

"Hold on," Kanji held up a hand. "You don't know what a birthday is?"

This time it was everyone elses' turn to gawk at the two in disbelief. "You're kidding, right?" Chie broke the silence. "How can you not know what a 'birthday' is?"

Naoto shrugged. "Animal demon's don't really celebrate like that. At least, I don't think they do. The books never specified, and there's no one here we can really ask." Naoto scratched at her ear in thought, though she couldn't recall the fact from any personal experience. Most of her information regarding her kind came from tomes in the library, or the internet. Yosuke, however, still wore a blank expression.

Yu spoke up next. "A birthday is a day other people celebrate you coming into this world. It's how you keep track of your age based on a single solar orbit."

"I see, then..." Yosuke thought back to the calendar, "Ours would be the day we came here from the Red World. That would be...April 12th."

Yu snapped his gaze to the other for a sharp moment. That was the day he'd arrived from the city. If it was a coincidence, it was remarkably well executed for an accident.

Suddenly, Naoto leaned forward with wide eyes. Both ears turned forward, and she sniffed the air. "I smell noodles."

The door slid open to reveal the friendly face of Hoshi Takeyama smiling broadly and pushing a small cart adorned with trays and bowls. "Would anyone care to give me a hand with these plates?"

The animal demons stared in shock as Yu threw a spare robe over Yosuke's head –to his complaint, and Kanji pressed Naoto's hat further onto her head to hide her ears. Both immediately tried to conceal the others' blatantly obvious non-Human attributes. Except for Chie, who bounced up and sniffed at a plate. She hadn't bothered to use a scrap of energy to hide her ears and excitedly wagging tail.

Yukiko was up in flash with her hands held out defensibly to her friends to try to explain. "It's ok. Hoshi already knows."

The Amagi Inn's head chef chuckled. "She told me about you two –the fox demon and the cat demon—, so there's no need to worry. Help me set everything onto the tables before you dive into your food."

Everyone got up to help. Naoto eyed her cautiously before snagging a plate and sitting down at the low table with it.

It didn't take long for them to forget about the reality of another knowing about their secret, and focus in on the delicious meals in front of them.

Dishes of curry rice, udon soup, fried wontons, yakisoba, takoyaki, steamed vegetables, chicken, beef, sushi, and tofu covered every inch of the table. The room filled with the tantalizing aromas of the massive meal. However, it seemed Hoshi had cooked for large parties of teenagers before, because no matter the amount of food, each plate quickly saw two to three more helpings of each dish.

Yosuke avoided the tofu like it was made of dirt, and stuffed as many cherry tomatoes into his mouth as he could. He reached 12 with a sound of victory around the food. Chie slapped him on the back, making him spit cherry tomatoes everywhere. Naoto cleaned off the California rolls plate before anyone else had a chance to touch it, and she kept snagging gyoza from Kanji's plate. Though he complained, he never stopped her. Chie made sure the steak bowl stayed on her side of the table, and Yu slurped up the longest udon noodle he'd ever seen in his life successfully without using his chopsticks. After battling that beast, he felt like he could do anything.

"Hey," Rise searched the table with her chopsticks suspended above her plate. "I had a curry pan here. Where did it go?"

Naoto swallowed her last bite. "I ate it."

The group laughed, stole food from each others plates, told jokes, both good and bad, stared blankly at Yukiko during one of her laughing fits, and ate until they were stuffed.

Yosuke leaned back and patted his belly in contentment. "I could get used to birthdays. We should have them more often. Like once a week."

"Birthdays only come once a year, Yosuke," Rise chuckled at his disappointed frown. "You'd weight a ton if we ate like this every week."

Kanji belched.

Yu wrote the number '10' on a napkin and held it up.

"Kanji, really!" Rise scolded. "At least say 'excuse me.'"

"Are you kidding?" He smirked. "In France, that's a compliment to the chef."

Rise didn't release her dagger stare. "In the rest of the world, it's rude."

When everyone had eaten, Yukiko cleared the plates and set them on the cart.

Hoshi placed a medium sized round cake in the middle of the table. It bore the letters "YY YC KN R" drawn in green icing.

"What's this?" Chie blinked bewildered at the unexpected dessert. She hadn't heard her best friend mention anything about a cake.

"It looks amazing!" The sentimental side of Yukiko entertained the happy image of two joyful animal demons digging into the spongy deliciousness of a chocolate cake with creamy icing. Her delight was only tempered by one question. "Why are there so many letters?"

Hoshi lit a different colored candle stuck at each letter. "Every birthday needs a cake, but I realized this wasn't just a party for the animal demons. Honestly, dear, I've never seen you as happy as you've been in the past week."

"So...," Kanji held onto the word as he searched for the right way to finish the thought.

The candle light danced in Yosuke's wide eyes. It was beautiful. "What does this mean?"

"I think it means...," Yu tried to answer, but couldn't form a logical reason. He looked to each of them: Naoto's intelligent, unblinking yet curious eyes, Kanji's strength, Yukiko's gentle demeanor, Rise's bubbly charm, Chie's powerful tenacity, and Yosuke's loyalty and carefree attitude. He let himself become immersed in the moment, allowed it to surround him, and held onto it, knowing it would stay with him forever.

Yukiko let her smile shine through her eyes when she realized what Hoshi had done for them. "Today's the day we become a family."


	18. 18th Scent: A Night to Remember

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yosuke is afraid of ghosts, Naoto begins to doubt her Bond connection to her mother, and Yu dreams of the past. This time, the Midnight Channel airs someone familiar.

18th SCENT: A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

\----That night in their room at about 11pm...----

“It's still raining.” Yosuke whined to himself in disappointment and sat back on he heels. He squatted in front of the balcony door to stare through the thick sheets of rain like a child yearning to go play outside, even if it was nearly eleven at night. It sure rained a lot in Inaba. He wondered if the rest of the world was the same. His tail stopped moving to assist in his balance, and he lolled backward to roll across the floor to his bed. 

Thunder rumbled softly beyond the walls. Yosuke fixated his stare at the balcony door as lightning strobed weakly across the sky. He knew he was safe inside the old Inn from its threat. Yet even though it couldn't physically reach him, the images it sprang to life in his mind were just as bad. The lightning's flicker brought the shadows in the corners to life. He glanced to the futon where his best friend snoozed peacefully on his side. “Hey, Yu? You awake?”

“No,” the muffled answer was barely audible. 

He continued as if the other had responded otherwise. “You...you don't believe that there might actually be yokai here, do you?”

“Shut your hole,” Kanji turned over under his blanket with an irate mumble in his pillow. “We've been over this already.”

Yosuke frowned, still not convinced. “But what if Yukiko was right? I mean, she did say lots of things happened here in the past. And didn't the news say that Miss Yamano stayed here the night she died?”

“You are one, you moron. Why does it even bother you anyway?” Kanji lifted his head at a lightning strike. “Besides, she wouldn't be dumb enough to put us in the same room.” 

“This room isn't haunted,” Yu mumbled. “Go to sleep.”

“R-right,” The words quivered on Yosuke's lips. He curled the blanket around him and rolled onto his back to stare at the ceiling. If there was anything dark or malicious like an evil spirit, it wouldn't be able to hurt them. After all, a special he watched on the paranormal a while back said that ghosts didn't have a body unless they took someone elses in a motion the researcher called a 'possession.' He pulled the blanket up over his nose and hoped none of the spirits here knew about that little trick. His ears twitched.

Something caught his eye at the top of the door from another lightning flash heading more thunder. He sat up and squinted to get a better view. It looked like someone had tacked a slip of paper over the door. The lack of sufficient light made it difficult to read the black brush strokes dripping down the surface. He wondered how he'd managed to miss seeing this the whole night. “Kanji?”

The younger student growled menacingly. “I swear to God, you little shit, if you wake me up one more time—”

“What's that?” Yosuke pointed. 

Exhausted, though curious, both Yu and Kanji sat up to look where the fox demon's finger stabbed the air. 

Yu studied it for a long moment. Funny how he'd missed this earlier. “It's a spirit ward. An Ofuda. We have one of these made of wood at home.” He'd seen that particular ofuda over the door throughout his entire life. It was supposedly given to his parents just before he was born. The old man who gifted it to them said it would protect the child within from the effects of harmful spirits. He'd brought it up to one of his teachers at the age of 9, and was told that lots of families had one out of tradition usually involving the name of an ancestor or a weaker god. The teacher explained that the old man must have had severe concern for his safety if he was bold enough to ask for protection from the great god, Izanagi. His father had stuck it into Yu's bag at the last minute as he was leaving the house to come to Inaba, and gave him strict orders to put it over the door when he arrived. Yu had done as his father asked. It now occupied a hook above his bedroom door at the Dojima home. 

The memory of the Ofuda suddenly cleared up the name of his Persona. Although he didn't know much else about his new power, at least he knew what part of his psyche it mined to obtain its name. 

This one in the Amagi inn besought the protection of the goddess, Amaterasu. To ask one of the higher gods for protection must mean the owners of the inn didn't want to take any chances. That worried him a little. 

“They're asking a goddess to protect the residents of this room, we'll be fine.” He rolled over and closed his eyes.

“Yeah, you're probably right.” Believing in something you couldn't see was foolish. Yosuke repeated that to himself over and over as the storm crawled closer. No matter how loudly he chanted in his head, he couldn't relax enough to fall asleep. He sighed, pushed back the blanket and stood. Maybe a walk would do him some good. Deftly, he tiptoed to the door and slipped through, closing it quietly so as not to wake up his friends. 

He shoved his fists into the pockets of his pajama pants and padded barefoot through the halls toward the game room. Light talking muffled from one of the rooms by another couple who couldn't sleep, but other than that, he was alone in his world of insomnia. The night was crisp, and very open, as though he were the only one in it. 

Something darted across the hall behind him. The sense of it plucked a vibe of discord down his spine. He turned to catch who was, but saw no one. The hall was empty. Still, he stared through the dim light waiting for something to appear. He sighed when his patience yielded nothing.  
“Jeeze, get it together, fox.” he berated himself in a whisper. 

The recreation room was empty when he walked in. A single lamp tried in vain to light the surroundings from it's lonely place at a table near a window. He moved past the ping pong and television tables to a vending machine against the wall and slipped some change in for a Cielo Mist. The can clanged too loudly against the bottom of the machine. He grabbed it from the drawer, popped it open, and sipped. 

The rustle of clothing snapped his attention back to the doorway just in time to see a shadow slip past his peripheral. His eyes glued to the doorway. Maybe Yu was right about the ofuda protecting their room, but there was nothing above this threshold. Whatever spirits lived in the Amagi Inn could enter unhindered. It could attack him alone, quickly stealing his voice so he couldn't scream for help, and no one would know about it. Maybe it was the ghost of Miss Yamano seeking revenge for her death. The likelihood that she could come after him heightened because he was possibly staying in her old room. If she tried to possess him, could he fight her off? How do you fight something you can't see? 

What if it was Saki's ghost? If she'd found out that he was from the world that had taken her life, she could be coming to seek her revenge out on him. 

Yosuke's grip tightened around the can, slightly crinkling the aluminum. The air in the room suddenly thickened. Footsteps shuffled down the hall slowly as though the one approaching was too weary to pick up their feet. Maybe it wasn't a ghost. It could be a yokai come to eat him, or a Shadow that found its way to this world through a TV like the silver-haired man had done. What if this monster had sharp, jagged teeth, horns, or hands big enough to crush him into the floor? 

Something high pitched groaned lightly. It was here. It was coming for him. Somehow it had found him, and it was going to eat him like it tried to do in the Red World. His mind blanked. How did he summon that wind power again? 

Thunder and lightning shot through the room. 

The shuffling stopped.

Yosuke held his breath.

Two pointed ears peeked into the room. “Yosuke?” It murmured sleepily, sounding surprised that someone else was here.

_It knows my name! Ah!_

Naoto ducked quickly, narrowly avoiding a can to the forehead. “What is wrong with you?” She hissed softy. 

He heaved a sigh of relief. “Good. It's just you.” 

“You nearly took my head off.” She yawned as she walked in and put a few coins into the vending machine. A canned green tea rolled out with the same noisy 'clang.' 

“Sorry. I thought you were a ghost.” He looked at her sheepishly.

Her face betrayed only a hint of annoyance. “There's no such thing. Also, you realize solid objects wouldn't cause damage to something of the ethereal nature, right? Why are you up?”

“The storm is keeping me awake. Why are you up?”

“I have a headache and caffeine usually helps.” She popped the top of the can and sipped the cool liquid. 

“You sure it's not the rain?” He stuck in a couple of coins for another soda and drank from it when the machine dispensed the can. 

She flicked a cold stare at him above the can as she took another sip. 

The victory was celebrated silently in his head as he took a seat in one of the overstuffed chairs at the table harboring the only light source. Lightning added its own throbbing luminescence to the room. He stared at the writing on midnight treat. “I think I remember him a little; the third animal demon.”

Naoto's ears turned forward to listen. She slipped into the chair across from him and set the tea on the table. “Go on.”

He sipped the cool drink. “He was in the box only a day longer than you were. He pretty much stayed on his side and I stayed on mine. I tried to talk to him a few times because I wanted company, but his answers were short, and he always stared, not blinking, like I had four ears. It was uncomfortable.

The other night, I had that nightmare again, only this time I could really see the dog demon clearly. His fur used to be all brown without that black ear, and I somehow know you and he were two of my first friends. We were out in that field playing Shadow Tag that day with others like us. I'd spoken to someone else—another fox—before going outside.” He smirked lightly. “I had to do some serious talking to get you to stop studying and play with us. At first you wouldn't join the game, but then you started getting into it and even got a couple of raccoons involved. It was so much fun. I think you were about to form your own team when the sky changed.” He took a gulp of soda. 

“Mitsuo was always kinda weird, even before the box,” Naoto remarked. “I think.”

Yosuke leaned back in a frustrated sigh. “I wish I knew why we can't remember anything. What's the point in burying memories of our own world before the darkness hit?” He could go confront the gas station attendant, but his courage wasn't nearly where it should be to demand answers from someone who could command him without a name, keep him in an unbreakable box for a week, and hide his and the cat demon's memories. Someone wielding that much power could possibly change their mind about leaving him behind at the shrine and steal him back. 

Both were silent long enough for the storm to close in. The clock on the wall ticked slowly toward 11:30. 

He hated that nightmare, and had to clear his head to focus on something else. “No one's seen Mitsuo around town for a week, right? And you haven't seen him at all.”

Naoto nodded once. “You're thinking he's not even in town?”

“I'm thinking he went back through to the TV world.”

Her long, dark-blue tail bumped against the seat idly. “He's after another victim. Why would he leave?”

“He could know he's being tracked and is hiding out.”

It was a possibility she had to consider. “The only way to test that theory would be to go back there and look for him.”

Neither animal demon wanted to have anything to do with that world again, and knew the other was thinking the same thing: Only go to the Red World as a last resort. 

It was cold enough that he wished he had something warm to drink. "Do you think we can convince him to stop?" 

"If his bonded is ordering him to kidnap people, it might be a futile attempt. All of the books I've read about animal demons say it's nearly impossible to overcome a direct command."

"But he did get himself hurt trying to protect us against that Shadow. He stopped it from making us its next meal. Plus, he was our friend.” His voice remained serious, though soft. “We can't just turn our backs on him no matter what he did or who his bonded is. If he's being made to do this, then it's not his fault." 

Naoto frowned and shook her head. “He didn't look like he was fighting a command, Yosuke. He looked like he was enjoying it.” She felt for her friend, and knew that he was trying to find some hope in this –as he always did. What little she did remember of their world included his annoying laugh. However, when she tried to picture those memories without it, a profound loneliness took over. 

His jaw tightened with his decision. "Let's hope it's not too late to save him.” He continued after finishing off the soda. “If we leave tonight, we can be back by morning."

The flaw in his idea was immediately easy to spot. "Too risky. We should meet up at Junes tomorrow and go through the TV there. Everyone will have gone home by then, so we'll have more time to search without raising any suspicions." 

He could tell by her tone that simply suggesting going back was raising the fine hairs on her tail in trepidation. Their world was consumed and destroyed by something insidiously septic. They'd survived only because they were forcibly taken away by a stranger. "I'll tell Yu, and you tell your mom what we're planning." 

Naoto tapped the top of her can of green tea with one claw. "No. They'll worry. We can use tomorrow as a scouting mission and return before they know it. If we find him, then we come back and tell the others. We'll need them for back up." 

"Sounds good. And then you'll tell your mom." 

Naoto froze. She hadn't thought about her mother all day. "...Yes, of course." 

The way she'd said it made it sound like she was checking off a box on a vanilla to-do list. For what they were going to attempt, she should be anxious for morning to come so she could contact her Bonded. Over the past week, Yosuke had noticed odd, minute nuances from her regarding her relationship with her mother, but he never pressed her about them. It wasn't his place, after all. If she'd wanted to talk, she could come to him. Now he knew just by looking at her thoughtful expression as she gazed out the window that she never would. 

"You're hardly ever home, Naoto. All week you've been staking out Namatame's place after school. When you do go home, it's late, or you go back to the station to sleep. And you seem o.k. with it.” He only knew that last bit of information because she'd mentioned sleeping on a futon in the chief’s –her father's-- office enough times that some of the detectives thought she lived there, including Yu's uncle Dojima. “If I went that long without even talking to Yu, I'd go nuts." 

“What are you trying to say?" She scrutinized his expression, looking for clues to where his meandering monologue was going. 

"I...see...thing is...” He tiptoed around the words, trying to think of something that didn't sound too harsh or straight forward. It was a delicate topic that needed to be handled extremely carefully. After a few frustrating seconds, he voiced the only sentence short enough and simple enough to convey his concern. “I don't think your mother is your Bonded." 

That wasn't the answer she was expecting. Her jaw went slightly slack. "Of course she is. She gave me a name at the station, then took me home. Who else could it be?" 

He shrugged. "I dunno. But if she was, you wouldn't find excuses to stay away from your own home." 

"I do not find excuses.” Her snap response was as sharp as the rain needling the window. “I have a lot to accomplish with this case." 

"How do you feel around her? Like, what goes through your head? What do you feel in your chest?”

Now she was more confused than irritated. "What do you mean? I feel normal."

"That's it? Just 'normal?'" His right ear cocked downward a twinge in curiosity.

Hers flattened enough to show him the irritation at his accusation. "What are you fishing for, Fox?"

He shrugged and stared outside as lightning flashed its warning that thunder would soon follow. “When I'm talking to my own parents, or Chie, or Yukiko, or anyone else, I feel good—normal, like you said. But it's not the same with Yu.” He pushed the empty can aside. “I feel safe when he's around. The world becomes something I can handle, and I can really be myself without fear or worry. I don't have to put on an act. If I'm cold, I can use the blanket. If I want to cry, I can cry. I feel completely comfortable.” He gestured slightly. “I sleep better, storms don't scare me as much, and I just feel.... warm... Happy. Like someone lit a match in my chest. Like...like..." he scrambled for the right analogy, and locked onto one that was familiar in his media-based life. "Like my HP and SP go back to a hundred. It's hard to describe. I just feel... whole, I guess. It doesn't matter where we are, as long as he's there, I'll be fine. Because I'm home." 

She stayed silent, listening to him and searching for her own answers.

He continued, treading carefully. "Don't you feel anything like that with your mom?" 

She opened her mouth to answer, but words refused to come out. Of course she loved her mother. Mrs. Shirogane taught her everything she knew about being a detective, instructed her on how to blend in with Humans, cared for her, let her come to the police station with her so she could learn from and help the members of the Inaba police force, and encouraged her to follow her heart. Because of her, Naoto wanted to bring honor to the prestigious Shirogane family name. Everything about that screamed 'Bonded.'

And yet the experiences the fox demon described were unique only to him –and maybe Chie. She'd never felt that level of connection with her mother at all. 

Yosuke stretched with a loud yawn. 

“Why didn't you take his last name?”

“Hm?” Why did she have to be so good at catching him off guard? He blinked at the cat's straight-forward, blunt question, and opened his mouth to answer, but froze for a second. That was a very good question. Yu named him, and if he followed Naoto's example, he should share the name, but he didn't. It was something he never questioned before. He shrugged. “I don't know. I guess it's easier to be a Hanamura since I live with Sayaka and Yoshi. It would be kind of weird to have a different last name if I'm supposed to be their son. You live with the Shiroganes, so it makes sense.” 

“In your situation, taking the Hanamura name is a logical choice. People wouldn't question it. In their eyes, the Hanamuras are your parents.” Her unblinking stare burned straight into his. “But it's a cover, it's part of the mask hiding who you really are, and what your second name should actually be,” her voice lightened slightly, “if you'd been allowed to remain in the Dojima home, that is.”

He shook his head. He stood, leaving the empty can on the table. “I'm going back to bed. I'll see you at Junes tomorrow. Good night.” 

“Good night.” She stood with him, grateful to escape the awkward moment, and left. They moved quickly back to their rooms. Both carefully slid open their doors. 

Naoto caught sight of Kanji's blond hair when the door opened. A pinpoint of warmth grew within her chest. Knowing he was right next door settled her nerves. 

They entered the rooms and shut the doors. 

Naoto pulled the blanket over her on her futon next to Rise, who was deep asleep. Chie was in Yukiko's room, so the two of them had the large space to themselves. Lately, she'd ignore that sensation whenever Kanji was around, because she couldn't explain it. After hearing Yosuke's observations tonight, she began to entertain the implanted idea that her mother truly wasn't her Bonded. That title belonged to someone else at the station that day.

Yosuke curled up under the blanket to listen to the rain, and shut his eyes. He thought of Naoto and if she was thinking of the bomb he'd dropped on her. If he hadn't said anything, who knew how long she'd go before trying to figure out the identity of the one who'd truly given her a name. Living like that made him shudder. He didn't want to think about how lonely that must be. 

And he hated being alone. 

He fought for sleep for a few minutes before giving up. There was no way he'd be able to sleep with his head crammed full of these thoughts, and the storm raging outside. He glanced to Yu sound asleep on his back. Within the drum roll bass of the storms thunder, he used his change skill, and curled into a ball under the warm blanket at Yu's side. He rested his head on his tail and closed his eyes where sleep was finally able to take him, and where ghosts couldn't harm him. 

* * * *  
\----Just about midnight...----

_“Mom?”_

_The word came from him, though his voice held a higher timber like that of a child's. She remained at the back of the large training hall as though she hadn't heard him, and continued to slash at multiple thick standing bamboo pillars surrounding her at various heights. The blade of her katana whispered through each by the will of its graceful wielder. He stepped across the wooden floor toward her._

_A solo bell chimed in the light afternoon breeze drifting in to the ancient training hall. He stopped, looking up at the wooden beams criss-crossing the ceiling high above in rays of golden sunlight. It wasn't the first time he'd been here, or even the twentieth. This old shrine was his mother's favorite place to train in her chosen martial art. It took some traveling to reach, and a long hike up stone steps as old as the mountain behind the building, but she would say it was worth the trip every time. It helped her focus. He called out to her again._

_This time, she heard him and sheathed the weapon in one swift, controlled move. “Yu, honey.” She faced him with a vibrant smile –a complete opposite of the serious mien she'd assumed seconds earlier. Her long black hair remained neatly tied in a pony tail at the nape of her neck, though strands of it swept back by the breeze. Multiple clean cuts of bamboo clattered to the floor. “I thought you were outside playing.”_

_Yu ran over and picked up one of the bamboo disks. His mother's blade left no imperfections on either surface. It was smooth and perfect, like her skill. He always found it amazing, since his mother was a Kenjutsu master. “It's perfect. Can I do that someday?”_

_She ruffled the silver hair of her seven-year-old son. “Of course you can, if you keep practicing. Let's see your kata.”_

_Proud to show off his knowledge of his ancestors' kenjutsu style, he stuffed the bamboo piece in the pouch pocket of his light gray hoodie, and went through each one. His small feet moved in circles with careful steps, slicing an invisible sword through an invisible pillar of bamboo. She adjusted his arms and legs some, but seemed content when he'd finished the routine._

_She handed him his bokken and took one for herself. “Do you remember the lesson from Wednesday?”_

_He nodded. It was three days ago, but still fresh in his mind. He held the training weapon in both hands. When she moved, he countered. Occasionally, he would try for a strike, but she would easily block. She stayed in complete control, teaching him how to read an opponent, and repeating her steps until he got it down._

_After a while, the two bowed to each other. “Very good. You've been paying attention.”_

_“I wanna compete with you someday.” He stood as tall as he could just pushing the tail end of three 1/2 feet high. “I wanna be as fast as you.”_

_“I'd like that very much, and I think you will.” her voice was soothing. “Our style protects people both through the sword and through our actions. Remember, once you decide to fight, you're entwined with the destiny of the one you protect.” She knew these words—a rule of the Seta ryu—were heavy for a young boy to carry. “You may not understand them right now, but as you train, they will become a part of you.” She smiled and brushed her finger against the end of his nose lovingly. “Now,” She stood and handed the bokken back. “Get into your ready stance. Watch how I twist with the motion of the blade at the same time keeping my balance at my center—”_

_“Mrs. Narukami?” An older gentleman's voice seamlessly interrupted from the doorway. It was pinched as though he spoke through a thin closed pipe, and slightly breathy. His most prominent feature was his long nose that resembled more of a beak than a Human facial feature._

_She straightened. “Yes?”_

_The old man stepped up to the training hall, but went no further than the threshold. He looked at it as though he were unable to pass. “I'm sorry to intrude on your training, but might I have a word with you, please?”_

_Yu stared at him for a long time. Even when the old man turned his squinty, beady yellow eyes onto him, he didn't flinch, or step back. Yu simply met that gaze as though accepting an unspoken challenge. The old man's solid stare sent a chill up his spine. He held his ground even though he couldn't shake the sense that the other peered right through him into his soul._

_The old man seemed amused by the expressionless show of bravery, and smiled with hidden knowledge._

_“Yes, of course.” Yu's mother nodded._

_Curious, he stepped forward to follow her, but she stopped him. “Stay here, honey. I'll only be a moment.”_

_He lingered back and watched the two at the doorway. It was impossible to hear what they were saying, but their postures assured him the old man was of no threat. Besides, his mother still wore her katana at her hip. If he was of any danger, he wouldn't be in one second._

_A hint of confusion crossed her face, though she nodded once and beckoned her son over with a motion of her hand. He walked cautiously across the room. Each step was evenly paced, yet he had no desire to run. His mother placed her hand on his back when he reached her._

_Yu stared expressionless at the old man. He wanted to know who he was and how he knew his mother._

_She knew her son could get along with the other kids at his school when he needed to, and most of them seemed to like him, but he was hardly ever the one to initiate a conversation. From her experience, his classmates always came to him. She nudged him gently. “Go ahead. Introduce yourself.”_

_Yu bowed in a general greeting as he was told. “My name is Yu Narukami. Nice to meet you.” The formality rolled off his tongue as though he read from a text book._

_“A strong name.” The old timer hummed with a raspy chuckle. It reminded Yu vaguely of plastic toys rattling in a thin paper cup. “You are getting big. How old are you now? Six?”_

_“Seven,” Yu stated flatly. His silver-eyed gaze glued to the hunched shoulders of their visitor._

_The old man looked down his long nose at the youth. “You don't look away, or hide behind your mom when a stranger comes by, hm? That's a sign of bravery.” He held up one boney finger. “Remember, boy: A fool is brave, but if he learns when to step back, he will become wise.”_

_Yu blinked once. What did that mean? The only sign of discomfort showed itself in his tightly balled right fist. Something about this old buzzard seemed at a discord, like he was walking between the lines of normality, and a strange reality he could never understand._

_The old man stood straight once more. “I must be going. It is always good to see your shining face, Mrs. Narukami.” He bowed. “Until we meet again.”_

_She met his farewell in kind with a smile._

_He watched the old man shuffle toward the ancient stairs down the mountain. With all those steps at that grade, he wondered how a person of his infirmity got up here in the first place. “Who was that?”_

_“Just an old friend,” she said softly. “He comes around twice a year to see how you're doing. His visits are always short, but pleasant. Odd how he's never said his name. I suppose next time I will ask.”_

_“Why would he care about me? I've never met him before.” Yu's question held a serious tone._

_She bent down to pull him into a hug, then let him go. “He's the one who gave us that Ofuda above the door just before you were born.”_

_“Why did he do that?”_

_“Well,” she adjusted his hoodie, and took his hand to walk casually through the old shrine's garden. “I was on my way home from the store late one night. It was cold, and my jacket barely covered my belly. I'd stopped for a moment to catch my breath when I heard him ask for some change for bus fair. He was alone at the bus stop, so I gave him what I had left in my pocket. He thanked me for my kindness, then withdrew that ofuda from his bag and handed it to me. He said Izanagi would protect you from spirits wishing to cause you harm.” She paused by a koi pond. “I wasn't sure what to make of it, but I accepted his gift and went home. I ran into him again the next year and he inquired about you. He seemed satisfied that you were well and healthy. He bowed, smiled as though he'd been given something of great value, and left. It's been like that for the past seven years. I never know when he'll show up.”_

_Yu watched the rust-red and white koi swim lazily in the pond. He didn't know that old man, and owed him nothing. If he did show up twice a year in the past, it must have been when Yu was preoccupied and not paying attention. Anyone with a nose that long would be difficult to forget._

_One of the fish leaped majesticly from the water Sunlight shimmered on its crimson scales. He wondered if he would ever be fast enough to catch it in mid air._

\---------------

The pounding of footsteps running past his room woke him. He yawned and tapped his phone. It's sharp, blinding light displayed the time, making him squint to read it. He turned it off, let his eyes readjust to the room, and listened to the storm outside. It was barely midnight. For a moment, he wondered why he would remember that one-time meeting with the the long-nosed man, though figured the conversation about the spirit ward must have triggered it.

Yu shuffled out from under the blanket, being careful not to wake the slumbering fox demon, and tucked his feet into the cozy house slippers supplied by the inn for its guests. A Sobay at this hour probably wasn't a great idea, but the strawberry pineapple tea sounded good right now. He pocketed some change and stepped out into the hall. 

He tossed an empty can of Cielo Mist on the floor outside the recreation room into a trash bin without much thought, and headed for the vending machine. The plastic bottle of decaffeinated tea bumped against the retrieval slot. He untwisted the cap and gulped down the cool, refreshing liquid. Refreshed, Yu turned to head back out when the flat screen perched on the media table crackled to life. 

The clock above it struck Midnight.

He set the drink on the ping pong table and watched as the staticky picture cleared. The image of a girl in a pink and white ball gown blew seductive butterfly kisses back at him. 

“Hello there!” The image of a buoyant, bubbly Yukiko held a microphone in her right hand with 'Myonaka TV' stamped across the flag. “My name is Yukiko Amagi, and today, I'm gonna hunt me down a Stud Muffin!” A bullet ricochet sound affect accented her finger-gun. “Are you ready? C'mon, saddle up, and rein in your stud.” She gestured broadly at a CG banner that flashed up on the screen. “It's Princess Yukiko's Hunt for Prince Charming!” The ebullient girl twirled in her flowing, cake-like skirts. “And I came prepared. My lacy unmentionables, they're ready to go, and so is my heart.” She patted the front of her puffy skirt with one gloved palm, then formed a heart in the air with both hands.

Yu stared transfixed at the screen, wide-eyed. He blinked once to check if he was still dreaming. 

The girl continued. “See, I'm out to tame me a whole pack of the best studs there are. Well, time to go!” She winked at her viewers, spun on her dainty fuchsia heels, and skipping through the castle gate. 

The camera pulled up to reveal the pointed rooftops of a red-tinted castle, then cut out completely. His stunned reflection in the dark screen replaced it. 

It took a few stretched-out seconds to remember how to move his limbs. 

That couldn't have been Yukiko. Being that exuberant, and outright flirtatious wasn't her style. Not to mention that dress –although figure flattering—would have never seen the light of day outside a Halloween party. He'd known her for two months, spent days with her, and never once did she utter any sentence remotely close to 'stud muffin' or 'lacy unmentionables.' If that was Yukiko, it was her mirror twin. 

Just like Rise's Dark Diva.

He suddenly remembered a minor detail Naoto had mentioned a few days ago from the conversation she'd overheard between Mitsuo and Namatame. Mitsuo had said the girl his Bonded targeted smelled like strawberries. 

Someone may as well have just punched him in the gut.

Yu screamed at his own body to move, abandoned the slippers, and bolted out of the recreation room as if his feet were on fire. He ran hard through the halls of the Amagi Inn toward her bedroom. Yukiko was with them mere hours ago, and none of their group had left the inn, so she had to be on the premises. If Mitsuo had somehow managed to get in and get by Chie, if he had taken her...

If he had taken her...

Yosuke ran out of their room just as Yu darted by. “Dude! I saw it! It woke me up. The TV turned on, and Yukiko was on it.” He swallowed hard as they both ran. “Oh man. Does this mean she's like Rise? That she's--”

Yu's expression hardened. He didn't want that crushing sense in his chest to hold any truth, however it refused to be ignored. If the pattern continued the way it had been, then what he'd seen on the Midnight Channel spelled the worst.

Yukiko was the next victim.


	19. 19th Scent: Eat It?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yu dives into the TV world alone in his frantic haste to save Yukiko. Teddie gives him something to overcome a magic ailment. Eat it?

19th SCENT: EAT IT?

\----Yukiko's bedroom, in the midst of all hell breaking loose...----

The door to Yukiko's room slammed against its frame. Chie groggily lifted her head from her soft pillow. She sat up on the guest futon she'd used dozens of times staying here over the years. and blinked sleep from her eyes. “You guys?” Her wide yawn covered the words. “What're you doing he--”

“Where's Yukiko?” Yu blurted out. 

Stunned and confused, Chie's left ear arched up in curiosity at her friend's behavior. “She went to the bathroom. Why?” 

“Are you sure?” Yosuke glanced around the room briefly. “Because last I checked, the bathroom wasn't in the Midnight Channel.”

Chie sat back so the blanket crumbled behind her, letting them see she'd gone to bed in a comfortable green night shirt and pajama shorts set. “The Midnight Channel? It was on?”

“Yeah,” Yosuke thrust his finger at the blank tv set perched innocently on its stand in the corner. “And she was on it acting all crazy –hot and wow—but still crazy.”

Chie felt her stomach knot. “Oh no.. But how?!” She got to her feet and looked around the small room as if her best friend would suddenly appear curled up on her bed. “She was just here just a minute ago. If anyone had taken her I'd know about it. If she's in that other world, then...” Her wide-eyed gaze landed on the other two. “Guys, we gotta save her!” She threw on a hoodie and quickly pulled on her shoes. 

Yu recalled the fast footsteps that woke him from his dream. The more he thought about it, the more he realized they were too fast to belong to a Human. Mitsuo had run right by his room and he'd had no idea. He turned on his heel and ran back down the hall before anyone could say a word.

“Yu!” Yosuke took off after him. “Hey, wait up!” His panicked friend didn't break even when he pivoted toward the recreation room on the ball of his foot. 

He heard Yosuke, but ignored him. He had to save Yukiko. The longer she was in that world, the greater her chances grew to either end up like Chie, or like the first two victims. He shook that disturbing image from his mind before it fully formed. No. Yukiko would be fine. He would save her. He had to. He was the only one who could. 

Without hesitating, or thinking twice about what could be on the other side, he leaped headfirst into the TV. The surface rippled at the touch of his fingertips, and swallowed him whole. Whatever waited for him on the other end of this portal, he could handle, even if he risked landing in a different part of that world. 

Yosuke and Chie caught up seconds later, and froze. “He's gone...” Yosuke put his right hand against the screen. For the first time, it yielded to his touch in the same manner. His surprised gasp swept unheard by his companion. 

“C'mon. Let's go.” Chie shoved him through, then followed after. 

* * * *  
The TV carelessly tossed Yu out into the fog. He hit the ground at the same speed as when he'd entered the portal. Thankfully, he'd remembered how to roll to sustain as little damage as possible. That didn't mean it didn't hurt, though, even if he did land in the weeds of an abandoned garden. 

The peeks of the Amagi Inn/castle stabbed above the other buildings in the distant blood-red sky. Thank God he was closer than he'd thought. He took off in a hard run up the street toward the Inn. First he had to get his bearings since he'd come through a different television, and probably would up somewhere else in Mirror Inaba. 

A minute, pointless conversation played in the far corner of his mind as he ran to distract himself from running barefoot across a crumbled ground. No, that name didn't encompass enough twisted sense. Twisted Inaba, maybe? Or Dark Inaba. 

Something howled in the distance to his right that snapped his attention. It was deep and lazy, though it sent a shiver down his spine. It's melancholy horror helped him decide on what to call this place.

Magatsu Inaba. 

He turned to run across the soft grass of an open lawn just outside the inn to give his feet a break, when something knocked him off balance. It struck him like a slap to the face, yet left him cold, and darkened his vision. He staggered, feeling his head swimming from the surprise attack. He blinked frantically, trying to hear any movement at all. If he couldn't clear his eyesight soon, whatever launched the assault could come after him again, and he had no idea which direction it was coming from

The world cleared just in time for him to see his attacker sweeping forward with its grasping black-gloved hands. He dodged the second strike, thankful for his kenjutsu training. Without it, he would have been crushed by its palms. 

The hands split to try to flank him, yet there was nothing connecting them to a main body. They were simply...hands. 

Yu frowned, slightly disturbed. 

He needed protection immediately. If it worked once, it might work again. “Persona!” The same card hovered over his outstretched right palm at his command. 

“Izanagi!” He crushed the card in his fist. Something flared to life in his mind like living fire. A single thought of 'block' fueled the rush of energy through his core as his Persona exploded from his soul. It solidified into the giant black-armor clad samurai just in time to take the shadow's next attack. The magic struck his Persona, though its affects transferred to him anyway. Thankfully, it was lessened considerably because of the shield. 

The electrical attack that had taken down Rise's evil twin might work again, however, there was no way to know aside from trial and error. His Persona rushed forward at this thought, and in time with Yu's exhalation, a bolt of lightning crashed into one of the hands. 

It shuddered onto the heel of its palm and spasmed on the ground. 

_Attack_ , Yu thought. 

Izanagi spun his blade and pierced the hand to the dirt. It writhed like a dying spider. When the samurai removed its weapon, the dark hand remained. 

_It didn't turn to smoke? This thing is stronger than the last ones._ He'd assumed something would instantly die after being run completely through. Apparently the physics of this world said otherwise. He glanced to the Amagi Inn, then to the Shadows in his way. He needed to end this soon. Yukiko was counting on him. Since the hand was still trying to right itself, he let his Persona strike one more time. 

The hand flip-flopped through the air as Izanagi speared it, thrust it skyward, and cleaved it in half. Both halves fizzled into smoke before they hit the ground. 

That was the reaction he was looking for. Yu turned his attention on the second hand as it sent a wave of power at him. He crossed his arms in front of his face and clenched his eyes shut. Just as he anticipated, the wave swept through him. 

Nothing happened. 

He cracked one eye open, then both. It didn't physically harm him. It didn't throw him back, or break any bones, or punch him in the chest. Maybe it missed, or it used something his Persona was able to block. He held out his hand to send another lightning strike through Izanagi at his attacker when everything –lawn, Persona, enemy, his own arm—split into multiples. He slid one foot back, shaking his head. The ground tilted, throwing off his balance. He staggered to keep up with the world as it suddenly began to spin at a dizzying rate, and fought to keep the enemy in sight as his target. 

Izanagi's lightning struck the ground next to the hand, missing it completely. 

Too dizzy to get to his feet, he sent an attack command to his Persona. The giant's blade struck the hand, slicing through it, but not much else. The enemy staggered, though wounded, and rushed with its palm wide open.

Yu felt like he was going to throw up. Fighting nausea, he pushed up to his feet and stood in a wide stance to keep his balance. _Yukiko_ , he thought. He kept his eyes closed to keep the spinning world from affecting him. 

A rush of wind suddenly swept past him, nearly blowing him forward. He heard the hand slam into the ground. Taking the new opportunity, he sent a new command to his Persona. _Attack! Attack! Attack!_

Izanagi's blade sliced through the armless glove in an identical pattern to his mother's deadly strikes against the bamboo from his dream. 

He heard it dissolve into smoke, and exhaled in relief. The battle was over.

Something metallic put pressure against the underside of his chin and lifted his head slightly. He stiffened, though immediately felt a sense of calm. When he dared to see the world again, what greeted him wasn't an empty field, or the owner of the wind attack that defeated his foe. Yu stared unblinking into the massive layered mask of Izanagi as it stared back. This thing—his Persona—was enormous. A quick thought flashed across his mind; this was how he must look to his fox demon in his natural form. His gaze locked into its yellow eyes even as the affects of the dizzying curse pulsed through him again. The claw of Izanagi's black gloved hand remained, strong enough to easily pierce through him, yet gentle enough to inflict absolutely no pain. Yu felt it was the only thing keeping him on his feet right now. 

He closed his eyes against the dizziness, and felt his Persona return to rest in the rear of his mind. He could feel it waiting patiently to be summoned again, and he trusted it. 

“Yu! I got it! One hit and boom! Floored it!” Yosuke ran up to him, panting. “Are you ok? Talk to me, dude. You're swaying like you're drunk. Why are your eyes closed?” 

“Because I'm going to barf if I open them. Everything is spinning.” He listened to his friend try to catch his breath. Yosuke was in pretty good physical condition since he loved to run and pounce –two of his fox traits he was very bad at hiding--, so he shouldn't be this winded from the distance between here and the portal. “You used your wind skill.”

“Yeah. It's called 'Garu.'” Yosuke stood straight despite the energy drain. “I saw you about to get clobbered and just did it.”

“Thanks.”

“Any time.” He frowned. “You really don't look so good.” Yosuke placed his friend's arm over his shoulder for balance. 

“It'll pass,” he lied. He wanted nothing more than to lay down and go to sleep where he stood. “We need to save Yukiko.” He swallowed hard. “Where's Chie? Did she come with you?”

“Yeah, she...” He looked around, expecting to find her nearby, but they were alone. No wonder he could think clearly. She hadn't said a word because she wasn't even here. “Awe balls. She must have gone ahead. We gotta stop her. Think you can walk?”

Yu nodded. Using his friend as support, they two started toward the castle gates. They didn't get more than a few steps before Yosuke stopped. “What?”

“I hear something.” He muttered. He strained to listen in every direction, even with his ears hidden. The grass rustled to movement from behind him, and he spun just in time to see another of those disembodied gloves rushing them like a crazed insect. Unlike the other two, this one was white. He held out one hand in a panicked motion to call his wind power just as an arrow struck the Shadow out of the bushes. Two more followed. The fourth took the Shadow to the ground in a puff of ebony smoke. 

Yosuke's eyes widened as a tall raccoon demon stepped into view. His bow was raised with one arrow aimed directly at Yu's forehead. 

He shifted his footing to put himself between the arrow's point, and its target. “Whoa! Hey! We're not Shadows!”

“You guys again?” a familiar higher pitched voice chimed in as Teddie moved to stand next to his archer. “First you throw another person in here, and then get in the middle of our Shadow hunt. We've been following these two strong Magic Hands all day. It's impressive that you two took them out, but that other weaker Shadow showed up because of the commotion you guys made. I am beary annoyed.” 

“We didn't throw anyone in here, you stupid bear. You've got it all wrong.” Yosuke argued. 

His friend's grip tightened around his shoulder, and he was frightened. Yu needed to see what was going on. The moment he blinked to let light in, the dizziness slammed into him again. 

Teddie scowled and held up his hand. His raccoon archer's bow string tightened. “You need to get out of my world.” 

“No, wait!” Yosuke partially let go of his change skill so his tail and ears became visible. “I'm from here, too,” he switched back to his own language smoothly. It didn't matter if there was an arrow aimed at his head. He just needed one thing. “That Shadow did something to my friend. Help him.”

“A fox?” He heard the raccoon's surprised mutter. “But--”

Teddie cut him off and stepped forward. He pushed up on his tip toes to look up into Yosuke's eyes. “Oh yeah. I remembear you. You want my help? Then step aside, pal. Watch a master at work.”

Yosuke lingered a moment, but let him pass. 

The bear demon studied Yu for a full minute as one would scrutinize ancient artwork. “Wow, that hand really whammied you good.” He withdrew a small brownish-green bead-sized clump from his pocket and pressed it into Yu's palm. “Eat this.”

“What is it?” Yu sniffed it. It looked like a compact chunk of brownie, but smelled like sulfur mixed with vanilla. He didn't know if his courage was high enough to risk consuming an unknown odd morsel. It reminded him of the stuff his uncle would neglect for days in the refrigerator. 

“I dunno,” Teddie scratched at his cheek, “but it's bearific at making you feel better. It works on poisoning, too. Go ahead. Eat it. You want to feel better or not?”

"That's your mastery at work? It looks like a dried up, moldy, chocolate covered raisin," Yosuke folded his arms.

Yu shrugged, then chewed it up. It tasted like he'd swallowed a piece of rubber. Within seconds, the nausea disappeared, and he could see without feeling like the world was upside-down. He exhaled in relief. “Thanks.” 

Teddie stepped back. “Don't mention it. Really. Now get out before more Shadows show up.”

“We can't,” Yu said. “Two of our friends are in that castle,and we're not leaving without them.”

“Yeah,” Yosuke's tail swished aggressively. “So either help us find them, or back up.” 

“If it means you'll leave, then I can track them for you.” He pressed his long finger to the side of his nose. “This sniffer is never wrong.” 

Both boys finally exhaled when the raccoon archer lowered his weapon. 

Teddie said something softly to his companion. The other nodded and ran out of sight. The bear bounced on the balls of his feet. “Let's go!” He took off toward the castle gates in a run. Yu and Yosuke followed, though hesitated at a shifting red and black doorway that should have been a set of double doors into the building itself. The area they'd stopped in was exactly like Princess Yukiko's staging area on the Midnight Channel. 

Yu stuck his hand through it. Like the television set, he was able to pass through without harm. The slight tingling sensation on his skin brought out a small chuckle. He stepped through, followed by Yosuke and Teddie. His chuckling continued as they walked down the velvet-red hallway. Pretty soon, it had increased to full on laughter. He had to stop at the top of the stairs to the second floor to wrap his arms around his middle. Thankfully, he was able to pause enough to breathe between fits.

Yosuke arched an eyebrow. “Why are you still laughing. It was a cool door, but I'm too on edge to laugh about anything." 

“I,” he tried, “Don't know.” He covered his mouth and took a few deep breathes. “I can't –haha—stop.”

Teddie suddenly looked guilty. “Oh yeah, I forgot. It must be the morsel. It clears out negative magic, but that stuff sometimes has unknown side affects. Last week, one of the cats had really bad egg-farty gas for an hour. Whew! Didn't want to be in that house.” He looked ahead of them in a nonchalant manner. “It's different with everyone.” 

Yosuke fumed loudly over his friend's now ruckus, ebullient laughter. “Then why the hell did you give it to him?!” 

Teddie feigned a dramatic fainting reaction. “You're so beary ungrateful to my poor bear-self!” He folded his arms. “He's not dizzy anymore, now is he. Relax, Fox. I've seen worse.”

Yu took a deep breathe, and said without thinking, “I'm not wearing any shoes! Ahahahahaha!” Why was he laughing about that? It wasn't funny at all! 

Teddie's speechless moment matched Yosuke's worried and slightly freaked out expression. “Ok, maybe not.”

He rolled his eyes. “How long does it last?”

“Not long. We just have to wait.”

The fox demon took up point to guard his afflicted friend in case any more shadows showed up. Despite the seriousness of the situation, he felt a smile pull at his lips. Even fake, it felt good to hear him laugh. 

Yu sat down and slapped his palm against the tiles as the hall rang with his imposed mirth. He needed to get off the floor and save Yukiko. He needed to get a hold of himself and just breathe. All he had to do was recall an incredibly sad, depressing moment to stop the laughter. Hopefully it would work.

And then after they rescued Yukiko, and found Chie, he was going to hurt that bear demon. A lot.


	20. 20th Scent: Snow Child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yukiko wakes up in the Midnight Channel. Her perspective, and her torture to weaken her spirit.

20th SCENT: SNOW CHILD

_While the battle between Yu Narukami and the Shadows waged outside Princess Yukiko's castle..._

_“I look good in red.”_

The subtle echoing proclamation pulled her back to consciousness. It sounded vaguely like it held her own inflection, but she hadn't uttered a word. She felt something paper-like yet soft rub against her cheek. It smelled old, but familiar. She pushed herself up on the tatami as the room brightened within a faint red hue around her, and tried to remember what happened. She'd been walking back from the bathroom when everything darkened. Someone had pulled a cloth over her head. That same person lifted her over their shoulder. She hadn't had time to scream before that person pressed her back up against something that first felt like a wall, then like gel, and then air as she fell. 

A soft gasp slipped out as Yukiko realized where she was. It was her bedroom—at least it resembled her room perfectly. Almost all of her furniture was missing, save for a table, her bed, and dresser. Even her closet was empty. Yet as barren as this room was, the suffocating sense of being trapped filled every inch of it. It's simplistic beauty showed that one of serenity and grace lived here, but it was still a cage. 

She was in the T.V world. Alone. Which meant the one who threw her in must have been the dog demon, Mitsuo. 

The woman's voice spoke softly from no discernible direction. The words simply existed. _“My name means 'Snow Child,' and I hate it.”_

Yukiko moved unsteadily to her feet, still clothed in her red pajamas and slippers. Her heart began to pound against her labored breath and she stepped backward toward the closed rice paper paneled door. That voice belonged to her. A cold breeze drifted in from the solitary open window, catching a few delicate crystal snowflakes on is back. They drifted to the floor where they instantly melted. A single, empty metal birdcage swayed lazily from the wind. Its door dangled open. The tiny bird that once called this 'home' had escaped long ago. 

“Who's there?” Her voice quivered. She studied the room for its source even as the statements continued, ignoring her question. 

_“Snow is cold, and it's never here for long. It's fleeting, and completely useless. I guess it fits me perfectly. Aside from inheriting the inn someday, I have absolutely no value.”_

“That's not true.” How could it utter such a horrible thing about her family? Yes, she was next in line to have full ownership of the Amagi Inn –that was always a reality she'd known ever since she was little—but she would never speak ill of it. She'd been trained to deal with customers, book keeping, and business planning. As the only child, it was her duty to continue the legacy. Someday her own child would claim the inn from her, just as tradition dictated over generations. It was an inescapable fact Yukiko had learned to live with. 

_“I have to do what my parents tell me, or I'll disappoint them. I hate that I have no say in my own life. I'm helpless.”_

She covered her ears against the tide of painful truths. “Stop it. That's not what I think at all. Just stop it!” Yukiko thrust the door open and dashed into the hallway. Her slippers padded quickly against the red velvet carpet donning the middle of a hall far too magnanimous for her humble Inn. Her hands planted over her ears to block the voice, but it leaked in as though playing through her own mind. 

_“Still,”_ it continued, _“Chie was the one who told me, 'Yukiko, red looks good on you.'”_

The hall dissolved into a simulacrum of the Hanamura's back yard, forcing her to stop. It was a warm spring evening. She could smell the crisp aroma of the freshly cut lawn, and vibrant flowers Mrs. Hanamura grew in a garden against the right side of the stone wall. The cherry tree near the corner was in full bloom. Its pink petals drifted languidly to the ground around two figures at the base with their backs to her. The tallest figure smoothly glanced over its shoulder at her. Yukiko covered her mouth from a squeak of shock that escaped her. 

She stared directly into the yellow spheres of her doppelganger. The wind drew its fingers through the Shadow's long, straight black hair with favor. It smiled lightly. 

“Chie was the only person who gave my life meaning.” Shadow Yukiko mused. It stood to face her, holding something small in its arms. The tiny form shifted against the other's red cable-knit cardigan to look at her with big brown eyes under short blond hair and honey-colored floppy ears. 

“Chie...” Yukiko breathed. This was the moment she had given Chie back her name, and thus bound herself to her best friend. 

Shadow Yukiko gently pet the small dog demon's ears. “I'm glad she succumbed to that weapon. I finally feel like she needs me, too.”

“You're wrong!” Yukiko stepped forward. “She was frightened. I had to help her.”

Her dark twin tittered. Even to Yukiko, the sound held the lambent tone of a drop of water against a hollow crystal sphere. “I didn't say her name to calm her down. I said it so she would depend on me for a change. I said it so that I could have value. Without her, without this soul bond, I'm nothing.”

“No... No, that's not true!”

“I need her. But now she needs me. We're connected like Yu and Yosuke. Chie can't leave me to fight alone anymore. She'll have to rescue me from my fate. She'll have to be my prince.”

“Stop it! I would never do such a cruel thing! You're lying!” 

“Am I?” The shadow purred. The soft sound steadily morphed into the most malicious, laconic, selfish laughter she'd ever heard. 

Horrified, Yukiko turned from the scene and ran. The illusion shattered, revealing the royal crimson halls of the castle once more. She swiped tears from her eyes. The Shadow was trying to weaken her like Rise's had done, and likely what Saki's and Miss Yamano's Shadows had done to them. These were fabrications meant to break her will, and yet...

And yet...

They came from somewhere inside her heart. Rise had accepted the fact that she wanted to be loved by the world. She'd craved to be the center of attention more than anything, to entertain and gain joy from it. If the Dark Diva had been telling the truth about her new friend, then perhaps this Shadow was doing the same. It was pulling the most egregious feelings from her mind and playing them for the world to hear. It was forcing her to stare her own darkness in the face, and there was no way to quiet this devil. 

What kind of horrible monster was she if her Shadow simply mimicked what she fought to bury? Because of her actions, she was now bound to Chie on the soul level, and that gave her the same ability to control her best friend as Yu owned against the fox demon. She'd already used it once. Her instinctual reaction was to order her friend to stop her attack on Yosuke in the park. Not ask. Order.

She'd made the decision to give Chie back her name with the intention of soothing her friend's fear, offering comfort to the only person to never judge her for being herself. Somewhere at her core, she felt a more greedy need scratching at her barrier of denial, demanding to be fulfilled. 

She wanted to be useful, to have control over her own life. And she'd given in to that need at the expense of another's free will. 

How could she do that to her life-long best friend? Chie had done everything for her, protected her, kept her secrets, and became like a sister. Yukiko loved her as family, and Chie's family had basically adopted her as a second daughter. They had been running in and out of each other's homes since they first met. There was no way she would consciously doom her friend to that kind of life just to feed the desire to have value. 

Yukiko screamed, covering her ears against the voice that refused to be silenced and fell to her knees. 

Something metal clanged around her loudly. She lifted her head as the floor jostled and lifted her into the air. Thick bars surrounded her completely in a round cage with a domed top. The door latched and sparked as it fuzed together, completely disappearing. Yukiko stood and pulled at the bars, trying to find a weak point. She was trapped above the floor of the castle's Great Hall. An elaborately detailed throne perched at the apex of a set of white marble steps. Seated on it with her legs crossed, was her Shadow. 

Her twin looked up with an arrogant smile. “And now I'll wait for my prince to come save me.” She chuckled. “Or at least try.” 

If her friends realized what happened, they'd probably try to rescue her like they did with Rise. However, if they were too late, she would end up like Chie, or like poor Saki and Miss Yamano –innocent people destroyed by their own dark sides. Yukiko dropped to the cage floor with her hands hiding her face. She deserved to be trapped both by tradition, and by what she'd done to her best friend. There was no way she could escape her fate. She sobbed into the sleeves of her night clothes and felt her resolve slip away. 

Her Shadow was right. Perhaps she should let that beam transform her into an animal demon. It would only be fair. 

Someone like her didn't own enough worth for salvation.


	21. 21st Scent: A New Self

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chie faces her Shadow, and comes to terms with her new reality.

21st SCENT: A NEW SELF

_The halls of Yukiko's castle..._

The crimson hall stretched on forever. Chie caught the railing of the next set of stairs from a dead run, and jogged up two steps at a time to the next floor. She hit the carpet at a full sprint, pumping her arms to speed up. Her shoes hit the velvet carpet at a pace too rapid for a normal Human. For perhaps the first time, she actively relied on her new animal demon abilities. Running this far, this fast, and up as many steps as she did would have seriously winded her by now. “Yukiko,” she panted, “I'm on my way. Please hold on.” There was a minor hope that her words would drift to wherever Yukiko was, but she held onto it anyway.

Chie had left the boys behind as soon as she saw the other shadow succumb to Yosuke's wind attack. They could handle the strange creatures from there and catch up to her. She needed to find Yukiko and get back to that television as soon as possible. 

Dark figures drifted languidly around the room. Some of them tried to dip down to her level to stop her, but she ignored them, cutting sharp angles to avoid their advances. They weren't important. Locating her best friend before that other dog demon, Mitsuo, could turn that wicked machine on her was her priority. 

Yukiko depended on her. She needed her. If she had stayed awake, this would have never happened. 

She pushed through a set of double doors into an empty room. A large rug covered most of black and white checkered pattern on the floor. “Yukiko? Yukiko! Damn, she's not here.” Chie left the doors open and ran to the next room, finding it held a similar decor. The next she burst through shouting her friend's name. Again, it held nothing but a rug. She cursed and moved to the next room, up a flight of stairs, to another room, and another. 

She turned to go back to a room she hadn't checked when a bright flash of light overcame her. She shielded her eyes with her arm, though when she looked, she was in another location, possibly on a different floor. The layout remained similar, but the wall scones had changed, and the tall, reaching windows yielded only a view of fog. “What the...” 

“Chie's always protected me,” a voice echoed through the hall. 

“Yukiko? Yukiko! Where are you! Yukiko!” Chie frantically looked both directions for the source. That voice belonged to her friend, but it's tone was different. 

“Ever since we were little.” 

Chie spotted a set of rich, mahogany double doors at the end of the hall. Not wasting a moment, she ran toward them through the phantom's words. 

“I'll never have to worry again if I'm in trouble.”

Chie pushed open the doors. She froze in the doorway, staring into a room that looked exactly like the others, only this time, a large floating cube hovered in the center. She stared at it, sizing it up. A red chest with a domed lid rested behind it. If there was something in it that could help her find where her friend had been taken, she needed to get to it to find out. She bit her tongue in thought of how to get around this stationary strange floating cube, and took two steps into the room, when the voice finished its sentence.

“Chie will keep protecting me... Because now she has no choice.” 

That made her stop. “What?” She uttered. “That... That's not true... That's not something she'd do!” she yelled to the cube. The owner of the voice failed to show itself, so this odd metallic thing that resembled a giant gaming die became her focus. “Come out!” She moved forward, holding up her fists. “Show yourself!”

No one responded. Frustrated, frightened, but on a mission, she pushed through to focus on the chest at the back of the room. Carefully, she edged her way against the wall, doing her best to be as inconspicuous as possible. Her breath stayed shallow and light despite the heavy beating of her heart. 

The die rotated lazily as though it were sleeping, and thankfully didn't seem to notice the girl.

She felt like a kid sneaking past her parents' room to watch early morning cartoons—only her parents wouldn't try to hurt her if they woke up. The dome of the chest barely reached her knees. A gold hook latched through a ring meant to harbor a lock, but no such security measure was present. It was unlocked, waiting, uncaring of would-be thieves. That would be her. She pulled open the chest and peered inside.

A slim, old fashioned golden skeleton key rested alone at the bottom, placed perfectly in the center. The head of the key resembled a yin yang sign, but as a mask -half white, half black. She picked it up. A warm understanding melted through her thoughts as clear as if she'd already known this fact from the start: this key would take her directly to Yukiko. Chie pocketed the treasure, and turned to make her way back carefully around the hibernating die when a staticy feminine silhouette materialized directly in her path. She gasped, startled. 

The form stared with unblinking yellow eyes. It glitched and blocked her escape route when she tried to move around the metal cube. It became more clear, more defined as a person, though it still held a static-like appearance, like the signal was being interrupted. The face that stared unsmiling back at her...was her own. 

Chie scooted a foot back and held up her fist. “Who—who are you?” she whispered. 

“I'm Chie Satonaka, of course.” the shadow blurred in a static shift.

“Cut the crap. I'm Chie Satonaka.”

“And I'm Chie Satonaka, too.”

“No way...”

The glitchy shadow seemed like it tried to fully focus itself, but something was getting in the way. “Yukiko's hot, sweet, and her skin is, like, totally perfect. Guys can't leave her alone.”

Chie stared in disbelief. 

“Truth is, if I wasn't around, Yukiko couldn't do anything.” Her shadow flashed a canus smile. “She's nothing without me, because I'm the one who is truly the top dog around here!” Her laughter cut like a razor through the atmosphere. 

Her shadow slid forward, forcing her to back up.

“No... Stay there. Don't come near me!” Overwhelmed, Chie ran past the die, momentarily throwing aside caution. 

The metal cube flared to life a the sudden motion. It shuddered once, then flew out of the door directly after the fleeing intruder. It rammed into her side, knocking her into the wall. 

The words of her shadow continued to haunt her. 

“Yukiko is right,” Her shadow purred, running along side her just long enough to speak. “I will protect her, because I have to. I hate her for what she did to me.”

“Shut up!” Chie shook her head. “That's not how I feel. You're a liar!”

Chie braced herself against the cool stone, pushing away immediately in a spin to keep running despite the pain. The die kept with her quick dodging movements as she ran, zig-zagging down the hall, cutting down the next at top speed, and running up a flight of stairs. “Get away from me!” She screamed. 

“I'm the one who can't do anything on my own,” her shadow's voice drifted through her mind. I'm the one who's pathetic.”

She risked a glanced over her shoulder. That stupid cube was still on her ass! She had to find the door this key fit into before—

The die slammed into her back, knocking her to the carpet. 

Breath exploded from her lungs at the impact. She rolled onto her back and kicked her feet up at her attacker. That barely phased it, and her feet throbbed at the effort. She scrambled backward, wide eyed. There wasn't much she could do against something larger than herself, and made of metal. She didn't have any powers like Yu or Yosuke. She was just a girl—a determined girl barreling head first into a world she knew nothing about to save her only true friend. 

Two lightning strikes stabbed through it from behind, making it shudder to the ground. It bounced right for her, clearly weakened, but rolling at top speed. 

There was no way she could move in time to avoid being crushed. Was this how it was going to end? She spotted the familiar silver hair of Yu Narukami rushing toward her, followed by a shorter boy in a white ruffled shirt, and round blue ears –another animal demon. Yu's persona, Izanagi, lifted its blade and dove at the cube. “Yu!” 

The die, however, didn't give up its mission. It had been placed in that room for one reason, and one reason only. It spun up into the air, opened one of its six sides, and lunged at Chie.

“Chie!” Yosuke dashed in front of her to pick her up and quickly get out of the way, but he wasn't as fast as the cube. His eyes widened as he curled over Chie. 

The bronze die slammed over the huddled couple, hitting the floor with enough force for Teddie and Yu to feel the vibration of its weight. It rolled quickly to scoop them up, not caring around their cries of terror, and closed the side.

_STOP!_ The word burst through Yu's mind. 

Izanagi's sword froze less than an inch away from the surface of the die. 

The two stood away from the now motionless cube. 

“Oh no, oh no, oh no! That's a Bronze Die—a fully formed powerful shadow.” Teddie pulled at his ears in frustration. “These things are beary tough to crack.”

“Then I'll get it to release them.” Yu held out his hand to give an order to his persona, but the bear demon grabbed his forearm. 

“Wah, no! You're too powerful, sensei! If you attack while they're inside it, you could hurt them!”

Yu lowered his hand. Dammit, there had to be something he could do. 

“Here,” Teddie handed over a pair of black rimmed glasses. “I know you can see, but I also noticed you were squinting a lot. These'll clear things up in a jiff!”

Yu put them on, and was stunned to find the hazy atmosphere cleared up completely. “Thanks.”

As if knowing it wouldn't be the victim of a fatal blow, the die lifted off the carpet and sped down the hall. 

“After it.” Yu and Teddie puffed and panted to keep up. “Teddie. Keep tracking it if we lose sight of it.”

“I'm on it!” 

Sure enough, it left them in the dust, but because of Teddie, it wasn't lost. 

* * * *  
_Inside the bronze die..._

“I'm in a shadow...I'm in a shadow.... I'm in a shadow...” Yosuke stuttered.  
His worst nightmare had come true. He remembered what happened to the raccoon demon that fateful day. He was sure his fellow classmate had been killed. Panicked, he pressed both hands against the sides, the top, and the bottom, even with Chie in his lap. “Lemme outa here!”

“Hey, take it easy, Captain Frantic.” She elbowed him in the gut. It was an easy point to reach. 

“You don't get it. I don't do well with boxes. You have no idea what that week in cardboard solitary confinement was like!”

There was barely room for the two of them in this cramped position. He sat cross-legged, and her feet were flat up against the other end. It left only a few inches of clearance above Yosuke's head. There wasn't any visible light source, but somehow the interior held enough illumination to barely see the other. Either that, or her new vision as an animal demon was being put to use.

The cube tilted, then leveled out again as it took off down the hall. It would have thrown the two off balance if there was any room.

“We're moving,” Chie breathed. Whatever this thing was, and wherever it was taking them, she hoped it would be to Yukiko. 

“We're gonna die.” He gulped. 

“Shut up. We're not going to die. It's just taking us somewhere.” She elbowed him. “Move over.”

He shoved her right back. “You move over.”

“Watch the hands, pal,” Chie sneered.

“My hands are innocent. It's cramped in here. Maybe we'd have more room if you'd left your pride outside.”

She pinched him.

“Ow.” He grumbled, shifting to try to become more comfortable with her taking up his lap space. “Why did you run off earlier?”

“You looked like you guys had everything handled. I needed to find Yukiko.”

He managed to get one foot up against the other side of the cube at Chie's back so she was leaning against his knee. “This isn't gonna work. We have to change back.”

“No. I refuse to go back to being an animal demon. You change.”

He shook his head. “Why do you always have to be so hard headed? Why won't you listen to someone else's ideas for once?”

“I do listen to others!”

“And then you do what you want anyway! Have you ever once considered backing off and just going with the flow?”

She tried to squirm away from him in the tight confines of their prison, but since there wasn't even room for him to move his other leg, she was forced to stay in his lap. “You expect me to stop fighting? To just give up and accept what happened to me?!”

“Maybe you should!” He snapped. 

Her retort caught on her tongue. She'd been prepared to hear him tell her to never quit—not to lay down, roll over and take it. 

He exhaled, calming himself, and his voice. “Maybe it's time you accepted yourself the way you are.”

“How can you say that?” Chie, however, was far from calm. “You stupid fox! It's always been normal for you to be this way! You don't even realize what you're asking me to do! I am a Human--” 

“No, Chie,” he rested his right palm against against the top. “You're not.” 

She stared up at him.

“You haven't been for over a week. You may look like it on the outside, but inside you're exactly like me and Naoto. You're not a Human anymore. You're an animal demon now. No skill can change that.”

She pounded her fist against the closed lid. “I want to be myself again.” 

“You're a new 'self' now. I'll bet the first language you think in is mine. Say the first word to come to mind.”

“No—”

“Do it. Say the first thing.”

“Will you stop? No!”

“Say it.”

“No!”

“Say it!”

“NO!”

“Say it, say it, say it!”

She snapped and yelled at him, only it came out in a trill-bark that resembled his. Her hand clamped over her mouth below shock-filled, wide eyes. 

He exhaled. “You just called me an idiot, but I was right.” 

“Oh God,” she squeaked. Her Shadow's accusatory words replayed in her mind. She looked away. 

He watched her bit her lip. “Why do you hate it so much? You can run faster, jump higher, I'll bet your eyesight and sense of smell are stronger too, and you probably have some cool power like I do.”

She paused with a frown. The silence bit into them, and she knew he was waiting for an answer. “It's... I don't like knowing that I can be controlled.”

A small smirk tugged as his lips. “And you think Yukiko will order you to do something you don't want to do?”

“No,” Chie shot back.

“Then why are you such a chicken about it? No one but her can have that kind of power over you, and she's too good of a person to use her best friend like that. Yukiko would never command you to do anything you didn't want to, just the same as Yu wouldn't use that power against me.”

The two were silent for a while. 

“But seriously, I'm getting a leg cramp.”

Chie exhaled. She wasn't ready to stop fighting, but she was willing to work with the new tools she had. She focused on the Change skill and felt something swirl in her mind and heart. Using this skill the first time had drained her. Now, for some reason, this hardly took any energy at all. She watched Yosuke and the ceiling grow taller and farther away.

“See?” He looked down as she crawled over his leg. He pulled his knees up. “That wasn't so bad.” 

She pushed herself back against the wall as his power swirled around his feet up to his head like a ribbon. As it tightened, he shrank within its vespers until he was her height. 

He stretched. “Totally better.”

“What if,” Chie hesitated, pulling absently on one of her ears, “what if 'giving in' means I lose my memories for good?”

Yosuke arched an ear. “What are you talking about?” 

“I've been forgetting things about my life since this started—little things I should know. It stopped when Yukiko said my name, but I've been fighting to become Human ever since. What if I lose all of my memories? I don't want to forget my parents, or my dog, or even my first lesson in kung fu. I almost can't remember that day. It's hazy, and it's getting worse. What if that all disappears if I accept that I'll never be Human again.” She wrapped her arms across her chest and slid to the floor. “I don't want to forget who I am.”

Yosuke sat down next to her. “What if fighting this is what's tearing your memories away?”

Her large brown eyes locked with his. She hadn't thought of that possibility. Could she take the risk and just let go? If she was right, she'd lose everything she is. But if he was right, she could preserve what's left. She moved her tail over her lap and sighed. “Yukiko would know what to say. She always knows how to talk sense into me.”

“I think she'd say, 'What you are doesn't define who you are.'”

“That sounds like something Yu would say.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, well.” He looked up at the lid. “I think if you stop fighting yourself, life might be a little easier.”

But that's what she was; a fighter. Her Shadow even threw that fact into her face. What if her dark self was right? What if her own reason for existence was to continue fighting until she couldn't anymore? She would be useless. 

Chie waited for their destination. Whatever they faced, she would battle as herself –animal demon or not.


	22. 22nd Scent: Letting Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yukiko accepts her Shadow, Chie's new skills are revealed, and Yu uses himself as a shield from the weapon.

22nd SCENT: LETTING GO

_A few minutes later..._

The bottom of the cube opened up without warning, and dropped the two animal demons carelessly to the floor. Luckily, the die wasn't that high off the ground, so the impact didn't hurt as much as it could have.

Yosuke cringed and rubbed the base of his tail as he stood. It was still a little sore from the hot spring attack. He looked to Chie. "You ok?"

"Yeah," she nodded and stood, brushing herself off. "I've taken worse hits in Kung Fu class." The two of them looked around the room, but found it resembled all of the others they'd been in. The only difference was the thick darkness concealing the space ahead of them. "Where are we?"

"I don't know," He transformed back to his Human height in the span of a thought. "But I've got a bad feeling about this." He eyed the bronze die hovering nearby. "Why are you still hangin' around?" Oddly, it wasn't moving, as though waiting for its next command. That set the hairs on the back of his neck on end with dread. "C'mon, we gotta get back to Yu and Teddie." He started to walk away when the cube crashed down right in his path. It forced him to jump back. "O—or we go another way."

Chie gazed into the unlit area in front of them and changed back to her Human form. A spark of warmth flared in her chest. It was inviting, and begged to be headed. "She's close by. Yukiko's here. Yukiko!" She called into the darkness, and started running into it.

He ran after her. "Hey! Hold on!”

She didn't answer.

Yosuke snatched her wrist. 

“Let me go!”

“You don't know what's in there." 

"You don't understand!" Chie snapped.

"Are you kidding me?! You are talking to the only person in this world who does!"

She stared at him for a long moment. He was always such a silly person, and when he was in his fox form, he acted like a young animal—it being the only time he could be himself. Now, he commanded a more deep seriousness than she thought him capable of. He was right, but then again...

"He couldn't understand it even if it was explained in a cheesy stick figure meme," the sharp, mean words from an outsider cut the air between them. Chie's shadow strode into the light, wearing an identical outfit, and a grin that spoke of arrogance, confidence, and lacking any empathy. She planted a hand on her hip, though her entire body kept fluctuating in and out of visibility with the static-like flicker of a television station getting bad reception.

Yosuke's jaw slacked. "Two Chies? What the he—"

"Don't listen to her," Chie urged. "She's lying."

Her shadow laughed. "I'm not lying. I'm telling it like it is. That's what I do. There's no way that fox can know what I'm going through. He wasn't cursed by his best friend."

Chie clamped her hands over her ears. "She saved me! You don't know anything!" That warm spark in her chest continued to demand attention, pulling her to obey its command to find Yukiko.

Yosuke took a step back. This was exactly what happened to Rise, only now it was happening in full reality right in front of his face. Rise's doppelganger had said she was also Rise- that the two were the same person. It was possible there could be a similar attack if Chie's duplicate went completely ballistic. He looked quickly around for any other shadows like those tongue monsters, but nothing else showed up.

"Yukiko doesn't really need me as a friend. All she ever wanted was a body guard, and now she has a permanent one," her shadow stepped forward. "Because of her, I'm a freak."

Chie would never say that. The one accusing her couldn't possibly be her double. It was all too crazy.

Yu and Teddie ran into the room behind the die. It spun at their arrival, and charged the newcomers. They dodged, barely escaping its weight slamming into the ground. Yu caught a glimpse of Yosuke's reddish hair in the distance, which told him everything he needed to know. That die no longer held his friends. Time to take this thing out. He focused on the sense that was his power, and called it to life. It was becoming far easier to do this the more he used his power. Regardless of how new the ability was, it held a sense close to second nature.

Izanagi pulled from his soul to tower over the die. He wasted no time in sending a bolt of electricity down on the cube.

It dropped, tried to get back up, but couldn't survive a second blast. This one, though seeming to be of a higher grade than the black gloves outside, was defeated far more easily than they were. Yosuke's wind ability took down the gloves, and electricity wiped out the cube. Every Shadow was weak to a different skill. That actually made sense.

Izanagi remained at the command of its person as Yu walked past the shards of the cube toward Chie and Yosuke, and... Chie? He prepared himself for another situation like Rise's.

The dog demon shot a glance behind her at the two, then back to her shadow. "Just go away!"

The flickering shadow leaned forward. "I'd love to, but I have this little problem of being you. At least I have the balls to say what I actually feel."

"That's not how I really feel... You're not me!" Chie rushed her shadow, swinging her fists, and throwing in kicks. Her twin avoided every one.

Yosuke looked to Yu, then back. "Why is her Shadow glitching like that? Rise's didn't do that."

Teddie pocketed a piece of the bronze die. He knew of a raccoon who would love to study this. "That's the girl that was turned into one of us, right? Maybe that's why her shadow isn't fully forming."

"Rise's shadow was solid, and pretty powerful. But Rise's also Human," Yu thought out loud. He watched the twins fight hand to hand. "Maybe Chie's is having a hard time manifesting because she's no longer Human."

Yosuke frowned. "She's still fighting herself."

"Literally," Teddie blinked.

Her darker side grinned. "I can't even accept the truth from my own mouth."

"It's not the truth!"

"Chie," Yu rested his hand on her shoulder to halt her next angered advance. "So what if that's how you feel? You still care about Yukiko, right?"

Her fists trembled. "Of course I do."

"You came all this way just to save her. That's proof enough, isn't it?"

The muscles in her hand relaxed a little, though she bit her lip. "What if it's because of the bond? I don't want to be controlled by it."

"You cared about her long before you were caught in that beam." He continued.

Yosuke eyed her shadow, then her. "You told me that when she said your name, your memories stopped fading away. And when you came to my house to ask for help with the Change skill, I knew it hurt to be so far away from her, but you said you didn't want to let her down –or something like that. You're an animal demon, now, yeah," he paused, "but you would have come here anyway even if you weren't."

Chie stared at her shadow, it's staticy figure leering back at her. "He's right," she began softly. "You're right. I'm scared of what I became, and I don't know how to handle all of this, but I know I won't have to handle it alone." She closed the distance between herself, and her shadow. The other began to fade as she spoke. "I'll always be there for her, even if she doesn't need me."

"What? You're just going to accept me? Accept the way you are? That's the influence of the bond speaking," her shadow threw a strong side kick.

Chie caught the kick. "No, that's all me." She pushed the leg aside. The next statement she needed to say would be at a far greater risk than anything else she'd ever done in her life. She inhaled deeply and raised her head to speak with as much strength and bold conviction as she could gather. Every word needed to be accepted as the truth –she needed to hear herself say them for this to become real.

"I'm Chie Satonaka. I'm a dog demon, and I'm bound to Yukiko Amagi," she paused, letting herself accept and be satisfied with the truth, "my best friend."

Her shadow's expression shifted from a negative snarl, to a smile of relief, and she closed her eyes.

Chie watched as the shadow dissolved completely, leaving behind a blue tarot card floating freely like the one given to Rise. She reached out for it, though it, too, disappeared as soon as her fingers brushed the surface. It's velvet blue hue melted into her skin to rush to her core, then out along her limbs like warm water. She exhaled, pressing her hand over her heart.

"Ok," she whispered before turning to face the other three. "Thanks, guys."

"Anytime," Yu nodded once.

"You faced yourself and won," Teddie threw his arms around her, knocking her off balance. "That was beary brave of you, Chie!"

"Ugh, get off! And what's with the bear puns?" She shoved at him like he was covered in mud.

Yosuke laughed over Chie's threats to beat the bear down if he didn't let go.

The moment, however, didn't last.

Lights flared to life around them, revealing the soaring, white marble stairs of the castle throne room. High, yawning windows opened up around the room to a landscape of a broken Inaba, though only shards of reddish light bled through along the floor. At the stairs' apex, perched delicately like a porcelain doll, sat princess Yukiko. Her billowing pink skirts draped just long enough to see the pretty pink pointed toes of her high heeled shoes.

"Nice of you to finally make it," she purred. Her eyes rested on the four of them, and she brought one white-gloved hand gently to her mouth. "Oh my. Special guests. I wonder how they'll play into all of this." The shadow descended the stairs. Her glamorous skirts brushed the ground behind her. "I meant for the die to only bring you here, Chie, but I suppose the more the merrier."

"Where's Yukiko?" Chie growled. The intense swirling emotion caused her to lose her grip on the change skill. Her ears and tail became visible.

The dark princess let out a derisive laugh. "Did you hear what she said, Yukiko? The mutt finally accepted her place."

Everyone looked upward as an elaborate chandelier flared to life, illuminating a large cage hanging from the ceiling by a thick black chain. Within it, hiding in a fall of long black hair, lay a curled up Yukiko Amagi.

"Yukiko!" Chie ran toward the stairs, but a blast of fire exploded in her path. The force of it threw her to the floor. Orange tongues of flames guarding the stairs. She tried to push past, but the heat was too intense.

Yukiko lifted her head at the sound of her name from a familiar voice. "Chie. Please, don't come any closer," she said. "Don't get hurt because of me."

"She's finally hearing the truth," the royal shadow spread her arms upwards. "Yukiko, why don't you tell them what you've learned."

She'd been beat repeatedly by words for hours, or what felt like days. If the time was different in this world, she could have been here for a week and not known it. "I deserve to be in here," she uttered. "It's where I belong for what I did to you. You were only trying to save me, but in return I cursed you. All I wanted was for you to feel safe again, but deep down I knew that saying your name would condemn you to being...a servant." She hung her head again. "I'm a monster."

"Yukiko—" Chie slid her foot forward.

"That's a lie," Yu moved forward. Though he spoke calmly, the commanding tone of his voice still resonated through the room. "She was in pain, and you wanted to heal her."

Yukiko shook her head. She barely had the strength to sit up, but she forced herself to anyway.

"You wanted to know what's truly involved in a bond with an animal demon, right? I think you already know. You can feel it. The bond isn't one way. You and Chie already have a deep history. This strengthened what existed from the start."

Yukiko's breath caught in her throat. She could tell even by looking at Chie that she felt more at ease. He'd just told her that she would realize the animal demon had become a part of her she would never want to be torn away from. Without saying it, he'd revealed his own truth. "Yu..."

"Enough!" The princess' screamed. Flames burst from the wall sconces to fuel the inferno already blocking their way to the birdcage. Her fists shook with rage. "Chie was supposed to save me from my fate! She was supposed to be my prince!"

"Her Prince?! She risked her life to come here!" Yosuke shouted over the roaring, crackling flames.

Yu put Izanagi right in the way of a wall of flames. His Persona didn't catch fire, though the heat was close to unbearable. It knocked him to the ground. He could hear Teddie's shouts of warning, but nothing he did could stop these flames. They were screwed.

The Shadow sent another plume of fire directly at them.

It was too wide to evade, and Yosuke knew it would engulf them. Its dangerous glow reflected in his wide brown eyes.

"Yosuke!" Yu cried out. They would all die if he didn't do something. He held out his hand to try for Izanagi once more when his vision blurred. No! He couldn't black out now of all times. They were in mortal peril. Yet, he couldn't fight it. Someone else was pulling at him. He leaned back and turned his palm up where his blue tarot card appeared once more. The sense behind it held the roar of a forest fire, but it was his, it belonged to him, and it would obey him. He knew, somehow, that it would protect the fox demon, himself, and Teddie.

The face of the long nosed old man he'd met as a small child flashed quickly through his mind. What would he have to do with this, and why would he remember him now? He had grinned at him all those years ago with secret knowledge behind a toothy smile. Perhaps the old man had known he would be able to use this power one day. Regardless, he would use it now to save them, and question it later.

"Ok," he muttered in full acceptance. Yu clenched his hand into a fist. "Change! Pyrojack!"

Izanagi bowed out back to his person's soul and willingly let his place be taken by another.

Pyrojack hovered in front of Yosuke holding a black lantern, its midnight cloak fluttering like a flag in the fire wind. It grinned, swinging the door of the lantern open, and set its power on the encroaching flames. The persona bobbed and weaved, catching up tongue of the inferno until the original barrier remained.

Yosuke's and Teddie's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. "No fair!" The fox shouted. "You can use more than one of those things?"

"I guess so." Yu stood as Pyrojack continued to work the field.

"Let her go!" Chie's hands became cold. The heat from her breath steamed in the air despite the hellish temperature. She spun in a turning kick to swirl the cold into a visible frost as one word flared to life in her mind. _Bufu._ It demanded to be used, so she answered the call, then realized she'd used it before in the hot spring when she nearly drowned. She kicked it out at the torrent of flames between herself and Yukiko.

The air froze the flames in place. When she'd finished, she faced a twisting, jagged ice sculpture half the length of the space between them. The tips of her fingers tingled from the cold in the power, but it didn't harm her. It did, however, steal a good amount of her energy. She breathed in disbelief.

Teddie lowered his arm where he'd prepared to brace against the onslaught. "Oh," he drew the syllable out on a slow breath. "A Bufu user. Nice. That skill comes in handy." He elbowed Yosuke, who just stared slack jawed at the spears of ice. "Well, if you weren't beary sure if she was an animal demon before, you should be now. We're the only ones who can use those abilities," he thumbed to Yu. "Well, except for that guy. What's his story anyway?"

Yukiko's fingers slipped around the bars. "Chie..." She'd just witnessed her best friend use magic –of all things. Chie was never the kind to openly believe in magic, even though the faintest ghost story would send her curling up into a shivering spooked ball.

Chie looked to her best friend, then to the Shadow. Something glimmered in the shadow's right hand. It formed into a ruby imbedded within the Dark Princess's gloved palm. A thin beam of light disappeared from the shadow's back a second after the ruby fully formed. Chie's gaze flicked to one of the open windows where the beam shrank out of sight. A figure dashed across the balcony behind it. Her eyes Narrowed. "Mitsuo," she growled low. As much as she wanted to rip out the little bastard's throat, she had to make sure Yukiko was safe from that weapon. Once that was accomplished, all bets were off. That little rat was hers.

"Yukiko! I'll get you out of there!" She crashed through the first layer of ice with a flying side kick. Her shoe crunched a smooth surface that didn't feel like ice. She lifted her sneaker away from the cracked glass covering of photo she knew very well. It was a picture of herself and Yukiko taken on the steps of the Amagi Inn just before leaving for the park to celebrate Golden Week. They were both very young, wearing brand new yukata, and smiling without care for the problems of the world around them. She bent to pick it up.

That day held a special place in her heart. As she stared at it, wondering how it got here, the memories came rushing back. The air was filled with laughter. They'd shared cotton candy, takoyaki, and ran through an open area of the park near the gazebo with sparklers, daring each other to see how many times they could spell their names in the air. Both of them knew they would have to take over their family's businesses one day, but at that time, it didn't rule either of their lives. Chie was always told she could be whatever she wanted to be, although she knew her father wanted her to take over control of the Satonaka Dojo. She'd lived with that freedom of choice her whole life. Yukiko, however, had not. Rules were set upon her from day one with adult expectations waiting to laden her with its yoke of responsibility. Yukiko believed she'd never had a choice.

Chie's grip tightened around the photo as more memories resurfaced into crystal clarity. She had accepted herself as a Dog demon tonight. She hated to admit it, but that annoying little fox was right. And so was Yu. She would have risked herself to save her life-long friend regardless. Only now she realized she could only go so far.

Her right hand slid into her pocket where she'd stuffed the key, and removed it. It was warm to the touch. That's when she understood its true purpose.

"It's not for me," she whispered. "Yukiko! I can't rescue you, but you can. You have a choice! You always have. I can't make it for you, but whatever you do, I'll be with you every step of the way!" Chie pushed as much power into her muscles as she had left, and threw the key up to the cage.

It tink'd lightly to the floor next to the taller girl's knees. Yukiko's fingers trembled as she took the slim metal in hand. She clutched it tightly as though the act would give her more strength.

"Nice trick, little puppy." The shadow held up her ruby palm. "Let's see how good you are at playing fetch." She spun in a tight circle, releasing a wave of fireballs at the four.

Yu spoke up as Pyrojack obeyed his thought command to intercept the new fire attack. "Yukiko. You're not alone in this."

Yukiko placed the key into the lock smoothly. "They're right. It's always been my choice." She twisted the key and pushed on the bars. The door swung open and shattered. She jumped to the floor. It wasn't far, but threatened injury if she landed wrong.

"Yukiko!" Chie ran through the flames with Pyrojack's aid straight for the falling girl.

The shadow raised her palm to the cage. "She's mine. She'll become what she deserves – what I deserve – to be a slave to the whims of others!" The ruby in her palm began to glow brightly, pulsing from its center outward like a snowflake.

Yukiko threw her arms around her friend's neck as she was caught.

Chie reciprocated with a tight hug. "I'm so sorry. Please forgive me."

She'd never been so happy to see the shorter blonde, and wiped tears away from her eyes. "I'm sorry, too, for everything. I should be the one asking for forgiveness."

"Only if you'll forgive me," Chie sniffled.

Yukiko could only smile. "Of course.” Being with her best friend warmed her heart, and she knew it wasn't just because of the bond formed when she'd given the other back her name. It was from a lifetime of memories and understanding. “I love you, Chie." 

She hugged back tightly. “I love you, Yukiko.” 

"Um... guys?" Yosuke pointed at the stage where a very unhappy Shadow became engulfed in flames, screaming in rage. A set of blazing red wings exploded from her back. "This is all warm and fuzzy and everything, but we've got a real problem here!"

The gem in the Shadow's palm flared brightly as her wings took her skyward.

"The beam...it gave her shadow that gem." Chie raced through the words. "Mitsuo has to be here controlling it."

"Like the microphone." Yu said. The gem seemed to be a focusing tool for the weapon. The science behind it must be ingenious. Oddly, he thought Naoto would find something like this fascinating. Too bad she wasn't here. She might be able to find a way to stop it that they can't think of anything on their own.

A flare of light from the balcony hit the Shadow once more. The glow in its palm snapped to life in a rough accent to the shadow's primal scream, and a beam cut through the air toward Yukiko.

Yu ran across the expanse, racing the light, and flung his arms around Yukiko to shield her with his own body. He immediately felt the beam pierce his back and fill his head with an unnatural, uncomfortable heat. His face contorted in a grimace as the energy bled through his clothes, and skin to his core. "Izanagi!"

Yu recalled Pyro Jack at a simple thought of 'return,' and let his original persona take the flame-eater's place. The samurai Persona put himself between the beam and its person. The sensation lessened, but didn't stop. He had to stay until it ceased. He had to protect Yukiko. If he moved at all, she'd suffer. His grip tightened around the silk of her pajamas. It hurt. His bones felt like they'd been doused in oil and lit by a match. The tips of his fingers throbbed with a painful pressure, and his scalp burned. His lower back tingled, and his insides felt like they were being twisted and scraped with a comb of nails. The beam stole his strength. He pressed his face into her shoulder and tried not to scream.

"Stop this! Please, you have to stop!" Yukiko's arms wrapped around the man who protected her.

The persona taking the brunt of the attack weakened. It would soon disappear, and she would still be in danger. The weapon's power, however, had diminished considerably. He heard her gasp and cry out his name, even as he forced out the name of his Persona one more time.  
"Izanagi!"

Izanagi's blade deflected the beam back to its source. He was gone before the beam struck the balcony. Yu cried out as his Persona returned to his soul, and he lost control.

When Yukiko opened her eyes, Yu was thankfully still there, though he exhaled in shaky breathes, and his body shook from the effects of the attack. "Yu? Yu, look at me. Please." She rested her hand against his face. His skin was covered in sweat, and he seemed shorter and slimmer.

He forced his tired eyes to look up into hers. "You're... safe," he slid to the floor.

"Yu!" She went with him. "Hold on. Yosuke!"

"I got him!" Yosuke ran through the remaining ice that hadn't already melted away and to his friend's side. For the second time today, he draped Yu's arm over his shoulder for support. His hands shook –he was frightened. He clenched his fist and tried to ignore the burning sensation in his core. Despite that, he felt weak and cold. “Stay with me, bro.”

Yukiko faced down her shadow, standing tall -a shield for her friends. "What you're saying is true. I won't ignore you any more. I tried to push you away, to pretend what I felt wasn't real or couldn't matter, but I was wrong. I do feel those things, every word. And I acknowledge that. But I won't let it control me or influence me anymore. I've made up my mind, and I finally understand." She rested her hands on her Shadow's shoulder with a sense of sagacity, and gently pulled her into an embrace. The other's angered expression faded at the sincerity in the touch. "You're me. And I'm you."

The dark princess smiled, nodded, and relaxed. It glowed with a brilliant crimson light that shifted to blue as its energy melted her image away. It sparkled within Yukiko's arms, swirled, and settled into the form of a card.

Curious, yet not afraid, Yukiko reached up for it. The card shimmered and faded into her heart. She inhaled deeply as the power spread its warmth through her body, exhaling only when it receded into her own soul. It spoke no words, but left its knowledge within her own. She knew this was hers, and that she could use it.

"Yukiko." Chie watched her, surrounded by fire and melting ice. Her expression held more seriousness than she'd felt in a very long time. "I don't blame you. And I never will."

The taller girl smiled prettily. What was done was done. Both had accepted who they are now, and what they'd been afraid of. She wavered a little, though Chie caught her. "I'm so tired."

"We should get you out of here," Teddie jogged over and held out a pair of sleek, pink-rimmed glasses. "Put these on."

"Oh," she blinked through the lenses. "That does make a difference."

"Hey, partner," Yosuke's ears flattened nervously at his friend's condition. He didn't see ears, a tail, or any other animal demon attributes on him, which let him sigh in relief. Still, he felt like someone had punched him in the face. Yu put a lot of his weight against him for support. "Ah crap. Hey, bear, you got any more of that weird brown stuff you gave him earlier?"

Teddie shook his head. "All out. But I know where we can take him. Bear with me on this. I promise it'll help." He lead the group out of the room and back through the halls. It took a few minutes to reach the outside, though by the time they stepped into the distorted light of the sky. Yosuke had to nearly carry all of Yu's weight just to keep him on his feet.

Yu could barely lift his legs to descend the steps. It didn't matter that he was barefoot –his feet hurt, but he was too tired to care, plus everything else had joined in the pain. He just wanted to lie down. 

They weren't alone when they reached the courtyard of the inn. The Raccoon archer was waiting. He gave Yosuke a dirty look as Teddie ran up to him. The two animal demons shared a quiet conversation, though the raccoon eventually gave in to the bear's orders. He sighed and shouldered his bow. "Ok," Teddie turned to the others. "This way! This way!" He scrambled down the road with the raccoon keeping a watchful eye on the horizon for any attacking shadows.

Chie stayed by Yukiko's side, and the four of them followed the bear around the edge of the city toward the northern side of town. As they moved up a hill, she began to recognize individual buildings despite their dilapidated or warped appearance. Only when Yukiko said she was feeling up to walking on her own did she go to help Yosuke carry Yu through a set of familiar, but twisted gates.

Yu's feet dragged. He tried to move, but couldn't even keep his eyes open.

"Wait... I know this place..." Yosuke paused, looking up at the school. Of course he knew Yasogami High School -he'd seen it from many vantage points, from being hidden inside a school bag to becoming one of its students-, but there was something else here that tugged at his memory. He imagined the buildings fading away. As he did, the foggy memory began to clear. He reached for it...

"Over here," Teddie waved them forward through a group of animal demons -little and Human sized- bearing knives, swords, and even golf clubs. They eyed the newcomers with suspicion, though let them pass on Teddie's word.

His concentration on the memory broke. There were more important things to worry about now.

Two cat demons rushed over and shape-shifted to Human form to help Yu onto a litter.

Yosuke burst forward. "Don't worry, partner, I won't let that bear's goons do anything weird." One of the cats pushed him back roughly and started to carry the litter away. "Hey! Where are you taking him?"

"Relax. He'll be fine," another woman's voice answered him. She flipped long, wavy blond hair out of her face with the art of a painters brush stroke. "He just needs some rest and a revival bead and he'll—" she froze, staring in shock at the three of them, though her gaze settled on Yosuke. She took him in carefully – his demeanor, his appearance, his flattened ears and tail betraying his unshielded emotions. "Oh my god...You're alive..."

Yosuke blinked at her. "Huh?"

"Do you know her?" Chie whispered.

He returned the confusion, though his thoughts were on his best friend. "And you are?"

The woman shook out a sleek pair of white fox ears from her hair, and allowed her billowing arctic-white tail to be seen. She gazed into his eyes for a long moment, as if trying to see behind them to the soul within. A small smile curved her perfectly painted lips. "It is you. I was so afraid you'd been caught in the initial storm. Everyone from your class was either turned or-" She grimaced, still unable to voice that horrible word, 'eaten.' "...I couldn't find you, or your friends, and feared the worst. I searched everywhere, terrified that every shadow we fought could have been you." She lifted a hand to touch his face, but he pulled away from her slightly. She curled her fingers and her smiled faded.

Yosuke had no idea what this fox woman was talking about, nor did her face spark any hidden recollections that he knew her at all. "Sorry. Look, if you'll let me go with them, I—"

"He's your friend, I get that."

"Yeah." Yosuke stared her down, though kept all malice out of his eyes, only insistence. For some reason, he felt like he needed to tell her the truth. "He's my Bonded."

She gasped slightly. "You've been named..."

"Yeah, and it's Yosuke," Chie interrupted. "Who are you?"

She frowned as though having a great gift taken from her. "You really don't remember me, do you."

"Sorry," he muttered.

"Can Yukiko have a place to sit at least?" Chie pushed.

"Of course." The fox woman gestured to another dog demon, who eyed her, grumbled in irritation at being told what to do, and lead the group after the two cats into the first floor of classrooms.

She watched them disappear into the building lit with torches, and sighed. The wind brushed through her loose hair without solace. Her ears drooped in sadness. He was now the only other fox in their new home, and he couldn't even recall her face, let alone her name. Still, he had somehow managed to escape the red stain and wind up with these Humans. She had no idea how, but knowing the smallest of their family was well -and named- dulled the ache of being forgotten.

Ai Ebihara touched her perfectly painted purple nails to her chest, inhaled deeply to suppress her emotions for now, and followed them inside. Hopefully, he would remember on his own.


	23. 23rd Scent: New Troubles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yu finds out the weapon's attempt to transform him into a cat demon failed due to his Persona's involvement, and his link to Yosuke. As a bonus, he learns more about the animal demon way of life, how they see the bond to a deity, and finds out most of the yokai blame the foxes for the Red Stain.

23rd SCENT: NEW TROUBLES

_A half hour and one meal later..._

“Any tenderness here?” The Human-sized, blue-eyed raccoon demon pressed two fingers against Yu's spine where the beam struck him. He wore a stethoscope around his neck with the prideful air of someone showing off a recently purchased expensive necklace.

“A little.” Yu sat cross-legged on a futon spread out on the floor of a second year classroom. An empty cup of noodles sat next to him. The desks were pushed to the back, and the windows left open to allow in fresh air. He'd awakened only minutes ago, and was still a little groggy. Yosuke had gone to get him some water, but as soon as he'd left the room, the head healer of the camp of animal demons strode in with a large, bulging medical case under his arm filled with all manner of random first aid items both recognizable and alien. He wore a smile of curiosity. Yu had immediately been suspicious of his intentions. To not be on guard in this world would be an idiotic move. He was certain this animal demon never had the chance to fully examine a Human before, and was reveling in the perfect excuse to do so. 

“Not surprising. You were hit with an unusual, powerful weapon.” The raccoon demon hummed to himself in thought as he scribbled some notes in a spiral notebook. This was the second time he'd tended to this particular group in the past two weeks, but as the most skilled healer left not infected by the red stain, it was his duty. He'd used the power of a revival bead, and Diarama on this Human as soon as he'd been brought into the school. As predicted, its effect was immediate. He'd let the boy sleep just long enough to do a quick refresher read-up in the library, and let him eat. When a revival bead is used, animal demons often awaken hungry, so it would be safe to assume the same went for Humans. He was right. “What about here?” He touched the top of the Human's head where a set of animal ears would normally be on one of his own kind. 

Yu grimaced. 

“I'll take that as a 'yes.'” He gently parted the silver hair, and examined the surface of his patient's scalp with a practiced, discerning eye. “I see some irritation, and a couple of bumps with some silver fur, but nothing much beyond that. That's a good sign you'll return to normal.” 

Ears? He was growing animal ears? Slowly, he reached back to check for a tail, and stiffened in shock when his hand brushed over a fur covered bump. 

The raccoon. “I checked while you were asleep. You have the start of a tail, but it's the same story as the ears. I wouldn't worry. 

Not worry about growing extra appendages... Somehow he'd find that difficult to do. “Sorry, I didn't catch your name.” He managed to get the question out before his eyes were blinded by a small flashlight.

“Rei. I'm bound to Izanami.” He flicked the light from the Human's right eye to the left, looking for any other animal demon physical traits, and humming in thought. “Excellent pupil reaction. There's a slight layer of tapetum lucidem. I suspect your vision is 20/20 if not better.”

Yu blinked repeatedly once the raccoon put away that dreadful light. The spots remained despite his efforts. “Izanami. You mean the goddess?”

“The same.”

“You serve her?”

“Yes.”

“Then you see her—!” His words were cut off as his physical tormentor pushed open his mouth to shine the light inside. 

Rei examined the Human's teeth, gums, and throat. “No. None of us named by her get to see her, though that doesn't affect us. You brush. Good kid. We get to spend a month or so with the god or goddess that named us before we're sent home. That's the way it's been for generations. Izanami is bound to hundreds. Being a high goddess, she has the energy to spare. I remember my time with her fondly.” He sighed, pushing down Yu's bottom lip. “According to the elders, the gods put a spell on each of our names so we could be separated from them without suffering the effects.”

“Eh-hek?” Yu tried.

“Effects? Well, ...irritability, loss of appetite, insomnia, weariness, ect. If you've ever been separated from your fox, you already know what they are. They increase exponentially the farther away you are, and the more time you spend apart. I hear it's torture in the early days.”

“Wah oo ay o ah?”

“Why would they do that? An animal demon and their bonded share life energy. Anything can pass through the connection; emotions, commands, energy. It's alive. It's very fragile during the initial days of a naming. That's why proximity is so important at first.”

“Why?”

“Stick your tongue out.”

Yu complied.

The doctor continued his check up, and his explanation. He knew this was the only way the Human would learn. “Think back. Did your fox do anything to stay close by?” He gave his patient a break in order to dig through his bag.

Yu worked is jaw. He recalled the first two months, and even instances after that. “He always had to be in the same room, and he had this habit of sleeping on me. It's weird.“

“I take it you've never owned a pet.”

“No.”

“Open.” Rei popped a thermometer into Yu's mouth. “Close.” 

Yu's eyes narrowed.

The raccoon pushed back his hair and grinned up at the ceiling in remeniscance. “Ah, the sleep technique. That was my favorite. I miss that. It was truly the best.”

Yu arched an eyebrow.

“Sleeping on you isn't weird. It's normal behavior for a young animal demon. It's his animal side. He gets the full benefit of the bond, a sense of ease, of feeling safe, and warmth, ...and so do you. I'll bet you those nights you slept incredibly well and woke up refreshed. It's like a battery recharge for you both. For a new bond, it's an ultimate healer. It wraps around and brings comfort and a sense of completeness. Though he probably doesn't know why he does that. It's nothing malicious and it can be taken at face value, so you can relax.”

Yu supposed it did make sense.

“The connection is like a string, and the energy from both of you acts as a cushion, or bandage, around it. A new bond works like this: The closer you are, the thicker and more protective the cushion. The farther you are, the more stretched it becomes, leaving you feeling raw like an open wound. Over time, I'd guess with a Human, you could be cities away and feel nothing. The slimmest layer of energy would be enough, like scar tissue. Even if you came to this world and left him in yours, it wouldn't break. Nothing can break it. You'd just feel raw, as I said. When did you name the fox?”

“Ah-riyu.”

“April? That recent?” Rei chuckled. “You have a ways to go.” He would take close notes with this kid and his team. The idea of Humans binding themselves to animal demons was extremely rare and fascinating.

“Wa ah au ee ah ah gee?” 

“Izanagi? Yeah, he named some of us, too. Your K-9's are a little longer than what should be on a Human. Hmm...” The raccoon checked the thermometer and continuing his note taking. 

Yu tested his teeth with the tip of his tongue nervously to see if this guy was right. Sure enough, the two incisors were elongated. He was a little irritated at being poked and prodded, even if this was providing answers. “Was that really necessary?”

The exasperated look he received dripped with annoyance through a visible flick of his brown ringed tail. “Do you want to know the extent of what's been done to you or not?”

Yu blinked, forgoing a reply. 

“That's what I thought. Hands.”

Unnerved at the idea of having been changed in the slightest, he held out his right hand. The raccoon doctor applied gentle pressure to each of his fingertips, then turned his palms upward and peered at it through a hand-held magnifying glass. Without warning, he snatched up his patient's bare foot.  
“Whuh--!”Yu toppled backwards. He braced himself against the floor to keep from falling over. 

The raccoon hummed in bemused thought again.

That sound was starting to become a little annoying and frustrating in its secretive nature. “Please stop doing that.” 

The doctor let go of his foot. “There's some irritation around your cuticles, but no other indication of claws. Your palms and feet have track pads. That'll make wearing shoes difficult for a while. Oh,” he smiled in approval. “That revival bead healed up the soles of your feet. I really did have a penchant for those little treasures. They come in handy when you're at the absolute end of your rope.”

Yu massaged his foot, noticing the tell-tale bumps of the internal traction pads. “How do you know so much about Humans?”

The scratching of a pencil against paper filled the air as the raccoon jotted down more documentation. “I was there the first time you came through the portal. Since then, thanks to the library here, I was able to research Human biology. I was curious and wanted to know more. I figured it would come in handy if we ever ran into your group again. 'Curiosity' is what I am.” 

“Good call.” He remembered Teddie beckoning this raccoon over to help Chie after she'd been attacked. However, at that point, he'd been little so as not to alarm her. Yu had asked that the fox demon be looked over while Chie was unconscious just to make sure he was ok. The animal demons present showed mild states of shock and discontent at seeing the fox, but he hadn't paid much attention. Their reactions didn't matter in that moment. Getting out of that world did.

Rei dug through his bag and pulled out a small red ball. He rolled it back and forth across the floor between his palms. Yu's eyes followed the path of the ball, which set the raccoon's ears twitching as he mused out loud once more. He bounced it a few times, and jotted down more notes.

“...What are you doing?” Yu asked casually.

“Just another test.” He rolled the ball across the floor past Yu. 

The boy didn't move. He only watched the ball, then looked back. “With a ball?”

More note taking, then the ball was retrieved to be bounced again. “Yes. How old are you?”

“Seventeen.” He curled his fingers into his pajama bottoms to keep from reaching out for the toy whenever it bounced by. It was a stupid ball. Why would he get the urge to play with it?

This tiny action did not go unnoticed by the doctor. He knew all young animal demons needed to play, and the manner in which the boy ...attacked... this toy would tell him what kind of animal demon he'd came close to becoming. The fact that Yu resisted this urge impressed him. Rei sat down, tossed the item up idly a few times, then suddenly threw it at his patient.

Yu's hand snapped up around the ball as he jerked to the side to avoid being hit. 

“Quick reflexes. Hm.” He grinned broadly as his thick, banded tail swished across the floor to more note taking. “Stand up and hold this to the top of your head.” The raccoon placed the end of a roll of measuring tape in his hand and took back the ball.

Yu did as he was told, pinching the tape between two fingers, and waited for the raccoon to finish. 

“How tall are you?”

“five-foot-eleven.” He let go as the raccoon clicked the 'recoil' button on the tape. It clattered back into a tight roll.

“Not anymore. You're five-foot-five.”

“I shrank?!” That put him at about Chie's height. 

“Again: you were struck by a weapon that alters a person's very existence. Why are you still surprised? You should be happy you even survived.” Rei handed him a small bag of tea, disregarding the intent silver-eyed stare. “Drink this when you get home. It's called Soma. It'll keep your energy up as you change back.”

Yu looked to the tea in his hand. It seemed to be a simple black leaf mix, though anything in this world could scoff at the word 'simple,' like that odd morsel he ate earlier. He was more than ready to be out of this world and back home in bed. 

“Good news! By the recession rate on the changes I've noted, you'll likely return to your plain-old self in about a week or so. Don't be surprised if things are a little odd until then.”

“Odd how?”

“Sharper hearing, better night vision, faster running speed, an affinity for yarn...” Rei chuckled at the slack-jawed shock. “You were in the process of transforming into a cat demon after all.” 

Yu's eyes widened. A cat demon? How could he laugh at that? How was that in any way humorous? 

Rei picked up his hodge-podge medical bag. “Whatever you used to guard against the process worked. A Persona, was it? I should think your connection to your fox also provided some protection. Both saved your life.”

He remembered commanding his Persona to put itself in the beam's trajectory, and how it felt before Izanagi deflected it back at Mitsuo's position. He could summon the samurai now if he wanted to, though it felt weakened, almost like it needed to sleep. It was a part of his soul, and just like him, it could benefit from a good nights rest. 

“One more question.” The raccoon's water-blue eyes held pure intensity, like looking into the main flash of a lightning strike. “What's your name?”

That was easy enough to answer, and he knew exactly why he was being asked. That beam didn't last for more than a few short seconds even if it did feel like an hour. Had that really been enough time to erase his identity? What would he do if it had? Could he be named by another and be controlled? That meant they could command him to use his power against...anyone.

The thought set his blood to ice. He opened his mouth, though for a terrifying moment, he couldn't respond. “It's Yu Narukami.”

Rei genuinely smiled. “Excellent. I think you'll be fine.” 

Yu's eyes widened slightly as he recalled what Rei said about the bond. “Yosuke. Is he affected?”

“Nope. I checked your fox over first just to be sure.”

He exhaled in relief. “That fox with the white tail –who was she?”

Rei grinned slightly as he thought of her. “Ai Ebihara. An amazingly beautiful creature. She helps me out sometimes, but she has a temper –always did—and a jealous streak to match, even back in class before she was named. She always seemed to be closest to Inari in terms of attitude.”

“Inari?”

“Inari Okami. She primarily names foxes, but she's not limited to them.” The raccoon scratched at his ear. “She seemed happy to see your fox. He must have been in her house.”

“Her house?” 

“She may be the one who found him.” Rei sat back on his heels. “The young ones in the valley are created from elements of lost Human souls. They're usually found soon after their creation, but every once in a while, it takes longer to locate them. Teddie was one of those unfortunate left to wander on his own at first. Everyone knows their importance, so they are looked after by the one who found them regardless of what animal type they are. All of them are kept in a class.” He stood and moved to the window with a clear view of the courtyard tinted red. “Sadly, the class that held the recent young ones was either transformed into Shadows, or...” he paused, “eaten by Maya. They weren't strong enough to defend themselves, nor had many of them even discovered their skill. I lost my young raccoon apprentice. She'd just discovered she could use Bufu, too. She held such promise as a healer.” He stole a moment to regather himself and turned to face the silent Human. “Your fox, Teddie, and a couple of others are all that survived.”

“I'm sorry.” That would explain Yosuke's nightmare. It must have been horrifying for he and Naoto to witness their classmates being consumed. People who suffer traumatic events sometimes block them out in order to continue on with their lives. Yet Yosuke and Naoto remembered that day, but nothing else before it. Considering the world they came from, it could easily be caused by something supernatural. 

“I've seen a lot of different animal demons, but no other foxes.” Yu moved to the window and looked down, spotting the white fox walking out of the building. 

“They were likely victims of the red stain.” He frowned. “Though most think the foxes are behind this. As for how she survived...” Rei's eyes followed the white fox as she stepped lightly across the lawn and stopped to talk with Teddie. “...We don't know. she won't tell us where she was when it happened.” 

Her shoulders were straight, and she stood tall. She even smiled as the shorter bear demon spoke, yet her ears lay slightly flat. Yu recognized it immediately as a sign that something was bothering her enough to keep her from completely faking that she was fine. Yosuke's ears would do the same thing.

“Aside from Ai Ebihara,” The raccoon turned to leave, “your fox is the only one left in the valley.”

“You keep calling him 'my' fox. He's not a pet.”

Rei smirked at the neophyte's ignorance. “You don't know much about this, do you.” 

Yu arched his eyebrow curiously.

“We've never seen the bond effect on Humans before—only between gods, so this should be very interesting.”

Yu watched him go, and overheard the doctor softly say, “Relax. Your Human will live. Keep an eye on him, though.” 

He heard Yosuke chuckle. “Psh. Duh. I always do.”

Rei stole a side-long glance back at Yu, then leaned in to speak softly. “And stay close to him for a few days, just to be safe.” 

“Huh? Why?” Yosuke blinked. 

“He's going to need you. Just trust me on this.”

“Uh,” Yosuke nodded, a little confused, but completely willing to comply. “Ok, whatever you say. You're the doc, Doc.”

He turned back to Ai and Teddie. Many other animal demons moved around them –felines, wolves, squirrels, a couple of bears, even some with ears like a rabbit. If Yosuke decided to return to this world, he would be alone. They both would. 

If Yosuke decided to return...

His right hand clenched into a fist.

“Hey, dude. So, you still in one piece?” Yosuke strolled into the room and handed him the bottle of water. 

“Yeah. I'll be fine.” he took the water and drank, though stole one last glance out the window. 

“Nice glasses, by the way.”

“Thanks.” 

“Hm... “ Yosuke scratched at his chin, scrutinizing his friend like he was a classic painting. “Are you shorter?” 

“No. Let's go home.” He expertly ignored the confused statement, and walked to the door.

“You sure? I'm pretty sure you shrank. I used to have to look up. Now I have to look down.” 

“Let it go, little guy.”

“'Little guy?' Heh. You haven't called me that in forever.”

Yu thought back to his fight at the start of this whole night's fiasco. “Your definition of 'forever' needs work.”

Yosuke paused. “Hey, wait a second. I know how you work. You're trying to change the subject.”

Yu remained stoically silent, as per his natural state.

“That name fits you more that me, now, anyway,” Yosuke smirked. He shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Eh, you couldn't handle the world at my normal height.”

“Oh really.”

“You'd be totally lost.”

“I'd be fine.”

“You say that now.”

“I'd adapt.”

“Maybe.” He chuckled. “But when your nemesis is a hamster ball, and your bed is the bottom drawer in the dresser, then come talk to me.” He smiled, folding his arms behind his head in a relaxed manner. Silence was his only response, though since no one was hurt, that didn't crush the amusement factor. Humor needed to exist to dull the piercing ache of their recent life-threatening incident. And to cover the sight of that sneaky Mitsuo scrambling to get away on the second floor of the Amagi Castle. 

“Quick question: What language are we speaking right now?”

Yosuke knew why he'd been asked this, so he smiled and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Are you kidding? We've been speaking my language this whole time.”

He halted, staring wide eyed at the fox. Everything he'd heard and said since waking up in the post apocalyptic school was in that animal demon speech, and he'd perceived every word as his native language.

Yosuke paused, grinned, and laughed. “I'm kidding.” He patted his friend on the back. Lighten up, dude. We're speaking Japanese.”

Yu sighed in relief and slugged his friend hard in the shoulder. This night needed to end. He couldn't wait to get out of this place and go back to the way life used to be. 

* * * *  
Chie sniffed the air automatically when Yu walked by following Teddie. The scent around him seemed off –not like she sniffed her friends, or anything-- just that her sense of smell had become more acute since she'd been changed, as did her eyesight. She didn't need the aid of glasses in this world like her friends did to see through the fog, yet the idea seemed fun. They looked kinda cool. He appeared to be fine, walking straight, and with conviction, but he lacked a few inches in height, because she could actually look him in the eye without tilting her head up. Plus, the way he moved reminded her of Naoto.

The doctor had been right. He was comfortable walking barefoot when the ground had pained him before. 

The trip back through the portal went off seamlessly with only a couple of Shadow attacks. They were weaker than the ones they faced in the castle, so Yosuke and Chie were able to dispose of them fairly quickly. She let Yukiko enter the TV first after the boys. Since the TV was on a stand, they fell from the screen and piled onto the floor. 

The four groaned as they got their feet. 

“I'm going to sleep,” Yukiko yawned. 

Chie dragged her feet, following her friend. “Anyone wakes me up, I'll kill them.”  
“I'm beat,” Yosuke's eyes drooped from exhaustion. “I call the foot of the bed.”

“I might sleep for days.” Yu covered his mouth to hide the words trying to force through a yawn. He glanced up as the bouncy, light footfalls of Rise came bounding down the hall. 

“Good morning!” She gave a bubbly smile, dressed in a Hello Kitty matching pajama set, and sipped from a steaming cup of tea in her hands. “Oh, you're all up! Good. They should start serving breakfast in about an hour –hey, where are you going?”

“To Bed,” Yosuke pushed open the door to their room and fell onto the futon. He changed into a tiny fox boy before he hit the fabric, and was asleep in seconds. 

“Um,” Rise tried, but the zombies shuffled to their rooms. “Do you...”

“G'night,” Yu mumbled, shutting the door. 

“Hey.” Pretty soon, she'd been left alone in the middle of the hallway. The pale, newborn rays of sunlight barely stretched across the walls of the inn. Rise blinked, still holding her cup of tea, and sighed. “But...” She'd wanted to start the day bright and early with her friends, eat breakfast, and maybe hit the hot springs one more time. How could they be so exhausted? She pouted. “It's 5am.”


	24. 24th Scent: Mitsuketa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rise discovered she'd changed in a unique way since receiving her tarot card from her Persona, and Yu has a nightmare that provides insight to the inherent knowledge and fear within an animal demon.

24th SCENT: MITSUKETA

_July 18th. Yasogami High School gymnasium. P.E. Monday after lunch..._

"Service!" Rise tossed the volleyball into the air and slammed the heal of her right palm against its surface. The white ball soared over the net, where it went through a spastic series of volleys between frantic, scurrying players before two of them headbutted each other trying to save the ball. It bounced out of bounds. She held up two fingers next to a smug smirk of delight. "Well, the first round's over and two players are out." 

The two players in question rubbed their heads in pain. 

"You've really improved, Rise," one of the girls on her team, Masumi –a shorter first year with her black hair tied in a pony tail, stared at her with new respect in the sparkle of her eyes. “How do you keep finding the weak spot every time, even when we switch up Players? It's like you're reading our minds or something.”

“Kinda creepy, really,” someone else chimed in from the same team. 

“Whatever. At least you're not as sucky as you used to be,” another taller student, Reiko, with cropped dark blue hair snarked. "Now if you could just put that awesomeness toward not failing English, you might actually accomplish something." 

Rise frowned, planting her hand on her hip. "Hey. I got us the point, didn't I?" She didn't know how to explain the subtle differences she saw in her other classmates' skills across the net, so she brushed it off with a slightly prideful laugh. 

The way it worked was to employ straight focus on her target –be it one person, or a group. If she concentrated enough, she could barely 'see' their level of ability. Finding the susceptible point in the girls strategy was like analyzing a puzzle. Rise loved puzzles, though only a handful of people knew that. Oddly, she hadn't been able to do this before her nightmarish adventure in the T.V world. Ever since she received her card, strange things kept happening to her. She'd known about every rainy day after her return before the weatherman had announced it. Her grandmother's missing comb was simple to find behind the living room couch, too. She tried to hide the ease in locating it by searching in every crevice until a reasonable time had passed, then she'd scooted the couch away from the wall to reach it. Answering the question of 'how'd you find it so easily' with 'I just thought about it really hard' was three points away from being certifiably nuts. So, she clammed up about every instance, even to her friends. Finally, after all this time, she had a group of people she loved, and she wasn't about to lose them with crazy talk. 

“Let's go again.” Rise bounced the ball in her hand as she eyed the other team, and sent it rocketing over the other side. They were able to knock it back after a serious volley, but the setter let her team mate send a perfect spike straight down into the gymnasium floor like a lead weight. Point 2: obtained.

She smiled as the game continued. 

She and her new friends held a special relationship due to their experiences in the Shadow world. Since her return, she'd been able to pick out all three animal demons from a crowd. Something about them set her senses pinging. They were different from regular people. She couldn't see their animal traits, she could just... tell. Recently, Yukiko and Kanji had started to seem a little different in their own way, too. Though they came close, they didn't reach the unique level of Yu Narukami. He'd always been like that as long as she'd known him. No one else was that strong. The transfer student who'd saved her in the Red World set her heart fluttering. If she focused hard enough on him, she could even 'see' the strength level of his Persona—the entity/thing/aspect of his soul he'd used to rescue her from her shadow. 

The first time she'd noticed it was the week before when he'd been cornered in the hall by Mr. Morooka. The balding, irate teacher took out his bad day on her friend, scolding him about how superior he must think he is because he came from a city school. Yu had taken it with a straight face without saying a word. Rise had started to step in to pull him away with some lame excuse she'd think up on the fly –and thus become his hero—when that strong sense sent a shock through her body. It froze her in place. She could see a very slight silver shine like an aura fade in around his head and wash over him like a shield. She'd clutched the yellow uniform scarf at her neck as she'd stared, afraid, but curious. Questions raced through her mind, leaving her unable to move from the weirdness of the whole thing for a full minute. That power...was that...his Persona? He must have drawn on it to deflect Mr. Morooka's verbal attack. Her mouth dropped as she could even tell how strong it was, which skill it favored, and which one it was weak against. It flooded her consciousness in a rush of information within seconds that paralyzed her in place. 

Mr. Morooka had finished his rant and trudged by her to the teacher's lounge as though she were a wall decoration. She'd watched Yu exhale. As he did, the shine diminished quickly to leave him looking like a normal person. He'd moved on down the hall without ever knowing she'd been behind him. 

Because of that incident, she'd spent her time while at school and the tofu shop analyzing people. The more she used it, the easier it became. 

She spotted him walking by with a group of guys to go jogging around the school. "Keep going without me!” she proclaimed to her team. “Be right back." She left the court and let another student take her place. “Hey, Yu!" She ran after him, catching their attention. 

Yu turned, as did Yosuke. The red head waved. "Hey Rise.” He'd always thought she was amazing since he'd first seen her on the Midnight Channel. With those hips, and that sweet rack, and legs that went up to— “Wow, you look hot in those shorts—ack!" He choked from the sudden pressure of a headlock. He scrambled against his friend's strong grip, demanding to be let go.

“Hi, Rise,” Yu said calmly despite having to shut-up his tactless fox. He didn't have to hear any words to know what the other was thinking. Why? He wasn't blind. “Everything all right?”

“Yeah, it's great,” she couldn't help but laugh at the two. The bond between them as Animal Demon and Bonded was easy to see—and it was very strong—but so was the invisible link of their friendship. It was safer to keep that observation to herself, like everything else. “I was wondering if you had heard about the festival coming up this weekend.”

“Yeah,” Yu let him go.

Yosuke rubbed his neck. “Jeeze, why you gotta be so rough? I was just giving her a compliment. Everyone wears those shorts, but she can really pull 'em off.”

“Down, boy.”

“Can I ask you something?” Rise played with her right pony tail. Though nervous, she really wanted to get the answer she came for, and ignored the perverted 2nd year student.

“Sure.”   
“The first summer festival is always a big deal in town, but not as big as Golden Week. Well,” she glanced to her feet, “I was wondering, maybe you'd like to, I mean, if you're not doing anything,...” When she looked up to meet his gaze, her train of thought wrecked. She'd become used to his presence being the way it was, but something about it was off. He'd changed somehow. She pointed lightly at his chest. “You're different-er.”

He arched an eyebrow curiously. “What do you mean?”

“Is that even a word?” Yosuke scratched his cheek in confusion. 

“Eh...um...” Rise panicked. She'd nearly let her new ability out of the bag. He was sure to shun her and refuse any request she had to join him at the festival if he knew. If that happened, she'd never get to share takoyaki, or watch the fireworks with him. “I mean, you're... well, you seem different. Yeah, that's.. that's all. Did you get a haircut or something?” She blinked, suddenly aware that she didn't have to look up as much to see his eyes. She was only a little taller than Naoto, but talking to Yu right now, felt like talking to Chie. It made the height ratio between the two boys noticeable enough to cause confusion. “Hey, weren't you taller?”

Yu's breath caught in his throat. Crap, he'd forgotten. “No, I'm still the same,” he answered smoothly, though curious at her odd behavior. 

“Oh, 'cause you seem like an—?” she clamped her hand over her mouth. _Shut up, Rise!_ She thought loudly. 

Yu blinked once. Asking how he was different sent him into self protection mode. Rise had received a card in the Red World the same way as Chie, Yukiko, and Yosuke. It removed the paralysis caused by the Tongue shadow's attack. It was possible the card that melted into her heart had also altered her internally somehow. Could she tell he'd been partially transformed into an animal demon? The small bumps on his head were concealed by his hair, the stub of a tail wasn't enough to show, and he didn't have claws. Maybe she'd seen his eyes reflecting light in the dark, or noticed his difficulty walking in shoes. He would much rather be barefoot. She'd been asleep at the Inn with Kanji and Naoto the whole time, though. Aside from his height, he could still pass as a regular person. The raccoon demon doctor said it would take a few days for him to return to normal. All he had to do was avoid displaying any qualities of an animal demon until that happened. He didn't want anyone knowing what had transpired in the TV world if he could help it. So, he switched to the one tactic he'd learned many years ago for dealing with an uncomfortable question. He deflected it back. “How can you tell?”

She bit her lip. He was definitely shorter, and she wanted to know what gave him the same additional sense as an animal demon. However, that meant answering his question first. The only reason she'd stopped him was to ask him to the festival, not be dragged through the mud spewing out the truth. 

She opened her mouth to go back to her original question when an alarm of danger flared in her mind. An image of her classmates pointing in horror from the volleyball net flashed across her minds eye. Rise's eyes widened, and she ducked. 

As she did, the volleyball skimmed over her head. 

Yu's hands snapped up to catch the ball. He'd been standing right in front of her, so if he hadn't reacted, he would have been hit in the face. Unfortunately, his quick reaction revealed the reflexes of a cat demon. 

Rise and Yosuke blinked at him. 

“Dude, Rise, that was like a ninja. You didn't even turn around.” The fox-demon looked past her to the girls staring in shock that their classmate had narrowly avoided a concussion. 

“Are you ok?” Yu asked. 

She stood and nodded, though didn't want to explain how she'd known about an attack from behind. Still, he'd caught that ball with only a fraction of space between them. “How did you—“

“We're so sorry!” Masumi jogged up to take the ball from Yu. “It just got away from us.” Her gaze shifted quickly between the two, and her expression shifted to one of pure amazement. “How did you manage to avoid getting hit? And you caught the ball with blinding speed!” 

Both first year and second year students struggled desperately for a way out of this without having to tell the truth. They were trapped. Once false word, one slip of the tongue, and rumors could start spreading about how weird they were. That would be horrible. Yu was already an outcast for being a transfer student, and no one ever took Rise seriously anyway. After showing off their skills in public, they had to come up with something fast. 

Yu scooted his foot back. “Um. I gotta catch up to the guys. See ya later!” He took off running at top speed, passing the jogging group. 

“See ya, Rise.” Yosuke ran after him, still not sure what happened with her, but not wanting to get left behind. “Dude, slow down!”

She blinked after them, then growled. “Hey! You stupid boys! You can't just run off like that and leave me here! You're gonna answer me!” She sprinted after them, grateful to them for giving her the perfect escape from her predicament. “Get back here!” Hopefully one lap around the school, then sneaking into the girls locker room would help her avoid answering Masumi's question. Thanks to those two scaredy cats, she'd made a clean get-away. She'll have to thank them later, and get an answer about the festival, too. 

* * * *  
The two boys ran halfway around the school, easily passing the jogging group, and leaned against the side of the ball shed to catch their breath. Kou Ichijo pushed a squeaky cart of basketballs by them toward the gym. “Man, that was close.” Yosuke relaxed. “Rise's hot, but she stepped into 'weird' territory just now. Her eyes got all funny and stare-y, like she was looking through us. And what was with all those questions?”

Yu glanced up at the trees. He'd run much faster than normal, though Yosuke being able to keep up just made it appear he'd had a sprint fueled by amazing stamina. Rise had witnessed his mad dash, which certainly fed her suspicions. She'd changed just as much as he had, or more. But it wasn't his place to pry. If she wanted to tell him what happened, she'd do it on her own time. 

“Man, I'm hungry,” Yosuke stretched. “Let's get something from the machine. I wish it offered soba noodles. That sounds delicious right now.” He started walking toward the gymnasium vending machine.

“We just ate an hour ago.” A sharp, hot pain washed unexpectedly across his stomach, cutting him off. He was starving.

Yosuke smirked as he kept walking. “You didn't think all that jumping and running just came with the territory, did ya?” He glanced back at his friend. “Welcome to my world–well, at least for a little bit. Be happy you won't have to learn a Change skill.” 

“I see. That explains why the three of you can eat your weight in nikudon.” Interesting. Maybe that energy usage explained why Naoto, Yosuke, and Chie were so small in pure form. Perhaps a snack before next period would be a good idea. He didn't want to be suffering through history class.

“Lemme guess: You're craving sushi?” Yosuke hardly withheld a chuckle. 

“Very funny.” He added in annoyed humor, though sprinkled with a dash of irritation. Much as he hated to admit it, the fox was right.

He moved forward, stopped, wiggled his toes, and continued, but stopped again. He'd dealt with this all day, and for the past couple of days, but he'd had enough. Sure, he'd get in trouble, but these were killing him. He leaned against the wall to pull off his shoes and socks. The relief was instant when he flexed his toes against the ground. The track pads beneath the surface of his skin gripped the pavement. “How do you deal with wearing shoes?”

Yosuke shrugged. “You just get used to it. It's a necessary evil of being Human. Chie said she prefers to jog barefoot in the mornings, now.”

“I can understand why,” Yu took another step, but paused from a quick wave of weariness. The Soma tea he'd been given to drink would keep his energy up to support his transformation back to normal, but sometimes he'd be caught off guard. He wondered how bad off he would be if he didn't have that tea.

It was also in those moments when he noticed Yosuke would find some excuse to grab his wrist to check his watch for the time, or like right now as Yosuke planted his hand against his shoulder for balance, and removed his own shoes. His energy returned. He raised an eyebrow. Was the fox transferring energy?

“What? Why do you get to be the only comfortable one?” Yosuke picked up his shoes and grinned mischievously. “Race ya to the vending machine!”

He watched the young fox take off, and sprinted after. Living shoeless was much, much easier.

* * * *  
 _Yu's dream. Early the next morning..._

_His bare feet carried him across a broken street so swiftly, he was a blur. It was behind him, his nemesis, a very powerful, yet shapeless Shadow. He could feel its inky presence like hot breath on the back of his neck. He clutched the familiar hilt of a silver and black katana in his right hand and took cover behind a jagged claw of asphalt that once held the word "STOP" near the desiccated shell of the Moel gas station. The 'o' and the 'p' were all that remained. The other letters were shattered to the side. He crouched down in hiding, breathing heavily, and waited for his pursuer._

_He'd tried to call his Persona multiple times, but nothing had happened. Izanagi couldn't abandon him. That persona was part of his soul –a manifestation of his warrior spirit. Maybe this shadow had done something to block his power._

_This thing wouldn't leave him alone. It seemed attracted to him for some reason. He'd used that to his advantage in order to distract it away from his friends to buy them time to escape, and his plan had worked. It had chased him through town, howling with desire to kill. His friends had escaped, but now he was the only one left, trapped in Magatsu Inaba. Instead of being a small town, this twisted version was enormous –not in the number of houses, buildings, or streets, but in the sheer height and girth of everything. The street ahead of him stretched up into the shopping district for what looked like a full mile, though he knew it was only a few short blocks. He could barely make out the entrance to the shrine at the curve of the hill. It was never that far away before. If he could just get to the school, he knew he'd be safe. There was no logic behind his reasoning, though he somehow 'knew' that place was a safe haven._

_He looked up at the towering Moel sign. Had it always been that tall? Come to think of it, as he glanced quickly to the left and right, all of the buildings were at least five times their usual size. That couldn't be right. Something was off..._

_The Shadow's yowling suddenly ceased, and the wind brushed its silence through his hair. His ears tuned in on the direction of the last sound. He swallowed at the tense change in the atmosphere and gripped the blade--his protector--tightly. If the Shadow had gone silent, it could attack him from any direction. He had to get to the school. He rested his hand against the side of the oversized letter 'p' and dared to peek around the stone._

_The street was clear._

_Exhaling, he lowered the blade and turned to run up the street. As he did, the sky above him darkened._

_Yu skid to a halt in front of Aiya's Chinese Restaurant and craned his neck back as far as he could to look up at the enormous black, blob Shadow—a Maya, an unformed Shadow—bearing down on him with its expressionless, red Noh mask. It was definitely the one that had been chasing him, though it was much, much bigger than when he and his friends fought it. Either that, or..._

_His breath hitched in his throat. The town and the Shadow didn't change in size. He did. He'd become smaller. He'd become a pure cat demon the same size and age as the others. Ice prickled down his spine, fluffing out the fur on his thin, gray tail. ...A tail...and ears... The beam's transformation hadn't been reversed like the raccoon doctor said it would. It had slowly regressed him completely into a young animal demon._

_He felt the ears on top of his head flatten in an instinctual reaction to fear. Maybe he should have thought his decision through a little more carefully before jumping headfirst into the TV._

_The Shadow had to be the height of a two story building. It reached for him with hands wide enough to encompass his entire body._

_He dodged to the side quickly slashing upward at the Shadow's arm. The hand fell to the ground in time to an angry, pain-ridden screech._

_It chased him across toward the vending machine. Yu jumped up into the bottom slot just as the shadow's palm brushed the ground where he'd stood. Its fingers reached for him, though he narrowly avoided its grasp. Shelter...he needed shelter. He looked up at the dispenser shaft and climbed up. At least claws came in handy with being a cat demon._

_The Maya's mask lowered to fill his view from the other side of the glass. It peered at him with unblinking, soulless eyes._

_He pressed his back up against a Cielo Mist. Maybe this impromptu barricade could buy enough time to figure out his next move before—_

_He ducked as it rammed its hand through the vending machine, shattering glass all over the inside and the pavement. Yu reacted, climbing on top of it's arm, using his tail for balance, and leaped to is back. The blade stabbed into the Shadow, slicing down and buffering his impact with the ground. He rolled, got up, and ran across the street._

_The Shadow keeled over, though not defeated. He'd delivered a critical hit._

_The sword held ready in his hand, and his blood pounded in his ears. What he just did should not have been possible. The laws of physics said so.  
“What's wrong?” He heard a young man's voice slink through the air. “You don't look well. You should go home.”_

_The gas station attendant stepped out to the edge of the curb, stopped, and just smiled. Though it was a kind smile, it hid mystery and secret knowledge. Yu stepped forward and spoke before thinking. “Why is Yosuke afraid of you? What is your connection to them?”_

_The attendant's smile remained. He watched the tiny cat demon as though all of this were some vast form of entertainment._

_Yu was about to demand more answers when the Shadow's severed hand moved in his peripheral. As he watched, it steadily pushed itself up onto its fingertips, and scuttled after him. He took off up the street, running hard for the shrine._

_He fended off the hand with his katana, sliding around, and slashing diagonally across from thumb to pinky. The blade cut cleanly through its body, and it burst into a cloud of smoke. Still, the earth trembled with the Maya's advance._

_He ran up the hill toward the shrine –which was much easier than trying to take stairs made for giants—and stopped at the top to catch his breath. There was no way he could kill this thing being only fifteen inches tall, and without his power. “Dammit. What the hell happened to my arcana? Izanagi, where are you?! Persona!”_

_The Shadow oozed up the stairs, emerging from the stone horizon like a monolith to completely cloak out the red sky._

_A new rush of information flashed through his mind more in sense knowledge than words. 'Unformed Shadows, Maya, consume animal demons for the energy of the Human soul aspect within them. That power strengthens them.”_

_He held the blade to his defense as it backed him into a corner. He was trapped. Now he had no choice but to fight. Yu slashed repeatedly at the beast, cutting it up the middle._

_It howled in pain. Before he could make another move, it lunged at him, mouth open, and slammed into the ground where he once stood. Turning quickly, it snatched the little cat-demon out of the air._

_The katana clattered to the stones._

_Yu pushed on its fingers, clawed, and bit frantically to escape._

_The Maya pulled upright, lifting its hand._

_“Let me go!” He yelled. “Izanagi!” Electricity sparked at his fingers. What the hell? Wait, of course! It made perfect sense. If Yosuke and Chie could use abilities, maybe his Persona's power had gone into him, and that's why it wouldn't respond. He'd taken on that power. More electricity coursed down the shadow's arms. It shrank back, though didn't let go._

_Dammit. This shadow wasn't weak to electricity. If he could just change Personas, he might discover its weakness. Yu stared straight into its yellow eyes as the mouth in its mask widened. He could see nothing inside but darkness. He didn't even know if he'd remain alive inside it, or for how long. Would it be instant death, or torture? He did not want to find out. “Persona!” His attempt to change the cards he saw in his mind failed, and he became more frantic as each connection he made died. It was as if they didn't even exist._

_Where were his friends? Why didn't they come back to save him? They'd left him. In the end, he always wound up alone. He hated being alone._

_He screamed, helpless, as the shadow's pitch black maw became his world. It let him enjoy freedom and light for mere seconds before--_

BEEP BEEP BEEP! BEEP BEEP BEEP! 

“Wuh-huh!” Yu pushed himself up sharply in bed. His heart raced from the nightmare. He quickly checked himself for ears and a tail, and exhaled in relief when he still found nothing. He shut off the alarm, flopped back against the pillow, and breathed a few times to calm down. That was one of the most frightening nightmares he'd experienced in the history of nightmares. Being struck by Mitsuo's weapon must have bothered him a lot more deep down than he'd realized. Everything makes perfect sense in dream-logic. That didn't explain the gas station attendant showing up for no reason, though. Yu whispered the only phrase fitting for the entire ordeal. “What the hell...was that?”

His phone beeped to an incoming message. He stretched over to where it lay on the desk by his school work. The message was from his fox-demon. 

[Festival! Festival! Festival! Woot woot! You ok?]

Why would he be asking that now at 7am in the morning? Better question: what was he doing _awake_ at 7am? He texted back one word: [Yeah.] and pushed 'send.' He stared at the message thread on his phone, put it back on the desk, and flopped face first against the mattress. His words muffled into the comforter. 

“That's the last time I eat three-day-old Chinese food. Ever.”

He rolled over to stare at the ceiling light. Every detail glared at him for attention, even though the curtains were closed and the room remained in darkness. He draped his arm across his eyes in a groan at the irony of nocturnal eyesight. “Bright.”


	25. 25th Scent: Un-Bear-Able

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rise's life takes an unexpected 90 degree turn when she lashes out at a beary different guest at the Amagi Inn hot spring.

25th SCENT: UN-BEAR-ABLE

_July 21st. Three days later. One day before the last day of school..._

Life in the sleepy town of Inaba soon settled back into the comfortable boring quiet of predictable days. The school hours dragged on with assignments and lectures demanding homework on beautiful early summer days. Businesses opened in the morning, served customers, and closed at night. Most notably, the news hadn't reported a single murder in two weeks. The biggest crime to be covered by the media was of a car accident that caused the shopping district's southern light to be blocked for most of the morning. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured. 

Rise heard about it that afternoon in the Tofu shop from one of the eye witnesses. She'd come home from school to help her grandmother, as she usually did, and spent the evening preparing Tofu for the first summer festival that weekend. With only one week of school left, the anticipation for the kick-off of summer vacation was palpable. 

Marukyu Tofu had a stand she'd been asked to work. She'd agreed, though wasn't happy about being forced to man the booth. She'd wanted to enjoy the festival with her friends. Everyone was excited to wear yukata, play games, and watch the fireworks. 

She closed up as usual, practically having to push the last customer out the door, and went upstairs to do her homework. Rise tucked her feet into her pink bunny house slippers and loaded up a plate for dinner. “I'm taking this to my room,” she announced in a yawn. “I still have a paper to finish by next week.”

Her grandmother ate casually, more dignified than anyone Rise knew from school. Because of the way she carried herself, her mannerisms, and her kind demeanor, she believed her grandmother's tales of her life as a Geisha in her youth. Ame Kujikawa wore the years of her life like a fine, jeweled obidome. Rise had even seen her flash the slightest of smiles that caused her older male customers to stutter their speech, and run face first into the door frame. She'd always thought that was funny. Ame would laugh lightly, knowing full well the strength of her power. “You've been working hard lately. You really should get some rest.”

“I'm fine. It's just been a long couple of weeks, that's all.” Rise cast her a slight smile, then shuffled down the hall to her room.

“I'll bring you some chamomile tea anyway. Oh, I'll need your help tomorrow after school, dear,” Ame called after her. 

Rise hid a sigh, thankful her back was turned. “Ok.” She closed the door and ate dinner at her desk. The paper she'd been working on for English class was only half finished. It wasn't her strongest subject, so she ignored it for tonight. She slipped her headphones on, flopped onto her bed, and disappeared into her music for the rest of the night. Music always soothed her soul. She soon found herself singing softly to one of her favorite tunes from the pop star, Kanami Mashita. 

“Why do I always keep trying to ask him to the festival?” She turned the exasperated question toward a picture frame on her night stand. The smiling faces of a man and a woman cheerfully lit up the garden around them. Rise threw a pillow up at the ceiling. “He probably thinks I'm even weirder now, even though we both went to that world.” She caught the pillow, then sat up. “But then what was the deal with him? Both he and the fox were hiding something. With everything we've gone through, he should believe me. After all, we are in the same group trying to find this creep, Mitsuo. What do you think?” Rise faced the picture and sat cross-legged on her bed, rested her head on the pillow, and stared into the eyes of the photograph people. “Would he even go to the festival with me, mom? Would he?” She smiled up at the ceiling. “Even if he says no, I'll wear your yukata anyway, because it's beautiful, and I want him to see me in it. I want them all to see it. Then maybe I'll have the strength to tell them what I can do.”

After all, they were her friends. 

* * * *  
July 22nd. Friday. THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL IS OVER! YAY! …

The next evening after school—and still no answer from Yu Narukami, the Master of Avoidance—Rise locked the door of the tofu shop and turned out the lights, happy that she could finally breath. The evening rush left her exhausted, sore, and still upset with one of the last customers who insisted on arguing with her about a large pre-ordered batch of ganmadoki to be delivered tomorrow morning—the morning of the festival. She rubbed her temples and sighed as she leaned against the counter. "Thank god today is over." Finally, her vacation could start. 

"Rise, dear, is everything locked up?" her grandmother called from upstairs.

"Yes, grandmother. I'm going to the hot springs, ok?" Rise untied the cloth wrap over her twin pony tails, balled it up, and tossed it behind the counter. 

"Don't be out too late. You still have to finish your homework and get up early."

Rise rolled her eyes. "I know.” She went upstairs, pulled a cloth bundle from her dresser, and quickly left. “I'll be back later!" She ran out the back door before she could be laden with any more chores.

Her grandmother had opened an account there many years ago, and gave permission to any employees of the tofu shop to use the hot springs when they were feeling stressed. She, herself was in there at least once a week. The Amagi Inn offered a specific contract for local businesses that allotted a certain number of people per business to be included for an flat annual rate. Large parties and group functions took precedence, however. That meant as her granddaughter, Rise could benefit from the springs any time she needed. They even had their own nemaki so as not to soil the ones belonging to the inn.

She stepped up through the front doors and waited to be greeted –as was expected.

"Hi Rise," Yukiko bowed lightly in her pink kimono, as she was trained to do with everyone while helping her parents rather than just living there. Normally at this time of evening she'd be in comfortable pajamas shuffling around in her favorite house slippers. She stepped forward. "You look exhausted."  
Rise rubbed her eyes. "It's been a long week. People are nuts about the festival, and some of them are just plain rude.” Her shoulders slumped. “Would I be intruding on any groups tonight?" 

"No, not at all. The indoor springs are open to women right now.” Yukiko smiled at her shorter friend. “There's just an important dignitary here my mother wants to make a good impression on. They've already been to the springs, and are enjoying sake in the sitting room." Despite the first festival tomorrow, it was a quiet night at the inn. 

Rise stared unblinking at the taller 2nd year student the entire time. The sense coming from the older girl snared her attention so much that the words simply flowed around her. Something was different with her, more so than before. It held a similar quality to Yu's, though to a lesser degree.

"Um," Yukiko's smile faded a bit as she blinked in confusion at the spaced-out girl. "Is something in my teeth?" 

Rise wanted to speak up about it, but the alarms to keep silent or be kicked out of the friendship were louder than her will power. Her memory of receiving that odd tarot card in the red world sprang to mind again. "N—no, you're fine. I just kinda spaced. That's all."

Yukiko blinked. "Are you sure?" Rise's behavior was odd, which made her believe something heavy was bothering her. 

Rise bit her lip. "It's n—nothing. I'm just really in need of a good soak." 

"Well,” Yukiko began, “my shift is over in about ten minutes. My day's been pretty rough, too. Want some company?"

"Sure. A few minutes of quiet, and then some conversation might be nice. I need to get home in an hour, though." She massaged a crimp in the back of her neck. 

“Ok, then,” Yukiko walked her to the spring just like with any client, although they were friends. It was just the way things were done at the Amagi inn. 

Rise walked inside. “Thank you.” 

Yukiko nodded, and left her to enjoy the solitude. 

The room was thick with steam, which would make it difficult to clearly make out anyone's features were she not in there alone. She washed herself first, placed a cold wet towel over her bundled-up hair, then slid into the hot water.

“Ah,” She smiled into the sigh, feeling the mineral water wash the soreness in her muscles away, and leaned her head against the side. She let it take away her worries of Narukami ignoring her, and just enjoyed the moment. So what if he didn't agree to go to the festival, or stay in one spot long enough for her to get out the first word in asking him. She'd have to be there all day anyway. Everyone would go, and since the Marukyu stand was located in the middle of the festivities, it practically assured she would see him. Until then, she would enjoy the indoor hot springs, and then maybe ask Yukiko for her opinion—without telling her whom she was thinking of, of course. Knowing someone else knew of her feelings would be unbearable. 

A familiar tingle tickled that new ability in her mind. She leaned up to take in the whole room despite the thick steam. The sense that bugged her reminded her strongly of an animal demon. No one had let themselves be heard through footsteps, or washed off first, or even greeted her. It just existed. She narrowed down the possible suspects: Naoto was home –she only knew this because the cat demon had sent her some notes for next week's history final. Chie wasn't here –she made enough noise to be heard by anyone, even as a tiny fictional creature of legend. 

That left one person unaccounted for.

A light splash told her she was no longer alone in the springs, and the tone of it was too light to be a normal person. Whoever made it was definitely tiny. She growled, anger seething as hot as the bath as she clenched her fists. “I let you get away with it once, Hanamura, but twice is unforgivable! You Peeping Tom!” Rise lunged in the direction of the splash and slammed her right fist against the perverted little twerp's head.  
It collided hard. Rise hauled the small demon out of the water, got out, and wrapped her Nemaki around her waist before her victim could get so much as a hazy glimpse of her feet. However, the pain-ridden squeak-yip and groan that followed didn't sound like Yosuke. The voice was too high. “Don't play innocent with me. You wait until the others hear of this. Chie will galactic punt your ass so hard, you'll be spitting diamonds for a week—huh?” 

She stared as the steam rose, revealing a tiny form face down on the ground with two small round ears and a ball-like tail the color of indigo that twitched once. They looked like those of a bear. This wasn't Yosuke or the others. It was a completely different animal demon. Judging by his size, he was the same height as Naoto. Rise gasped in horror. Dear god, had she killed him? Her heart raced. What was she going to do? 

The strange bear-demon groaned and mumbled unintelligible words within sounds. Rise hadn't heard the animal demons' language very often, but she did recognize it. 

“Oh, thank goodness you're all right. I'm so sorry. I thought you were someone else.” Which made her realize that had she hit the small fox demon in the same manner, Yu would never speak to her again. As if avoiding her wasn't bad enough, assaulting his animal demon would put her on his black list. She instantly regretting her knee-jerk reaction. She would never do that again to anyone. “Are you ok?”

“The world is really spinning. Ugh.” The little animal demon sat up, though wobbled precariously and braced himself against the floor. He hung his head, so the side swoop of blond hair covered his eyes. And to make matters worse, he was completely,...well, bear butt naked. Rise quickly wrapped the towel from her head around him. Where did this little animal demon come from and why was he in the hot springs? 

Her head snapped up to the sound of the door sliding open as Yukiko came rushing in. “I heard a scream. Is everything all right?” she paused, looking from the kneeling girl on the floor to the bundle of towel. “Rise?” Her eyes rested on the the swoop of hair sticking out of the towel. “Is that...wait, is that an animal demon?” As far as she knew, their three friends were in their own homes tonight. 

“I don't know,” She quickly stammered. “He just showed up in the spring so I hit him, and now he's not making any sense.” 

Yukiko rested her hand on the demon's head where a prominent bump stuck up between his ears. “You hit him pretty hard. Quick, let's get him to my room before anyone sees him.” 

Rise held the bundled-up demon close, and both girls took off down the hall to the older girl's room. 

Yukiko quickly shut the door as Rise laid the tiny animal demon on the bed, and placed an ice pack on his head. 

The little bear looked up at her with big, blinking blue eyes. “You're beary pretty. All three of you.” 

“All three?” She cocked her head to the side, then slumped in an exasperation. She picked up the bear-boy, towel and all, and held him out at arms length. The ice pack slid to the floor. “Now that I know you're Ok, you're going to tell me why you were peeping at me in the springs.” her eyes narrowed.

“Peeping?” He stared at her curiously. “I was there for the spring, but I can bear-ly remember why. It's right at the edge of my tongue, too.” He scratched his ear when she put him down. 

Yukiko placed the ice pack back onto his head. He fiddled with it, and grinned under the soothing coolness. 

“Hm, he looks kinda familiar.” Yukiko thought on her experiences in the TV world back to every animal demon she'd met. This little one looked like the leader of the survivors, but she'd never seen him in his natural state. There was only one way to know. “What's your name?”

The small bear looked up at her, smiled slightly, and opened his mouth to speak,...though nothing came out. He pressed his hand to his mouth, and then pulled on his ears in frustration. “Ah! Why'd you have to ask that! Now I'm beary confused, and it's making my headache worse!”

Yukiko bit her lip under wide eyes. If this was Teddie, and he couldn't remember his name, then saying it out loud might bind her to another animal demon. She was having a hard enough time figuring out the details of her connection with Chie as it was. To add another to it –even if it were possible—would over-complicate everything exponentially. There had to be a way to get around this, but for now, she needed to sooth the small demon until he could remember. “Just take it easy, ok?” She broke an asprin pill in half and handed one part to him along with a cookie from her hidden stash. Though if asked about it, she'd deny the treats existed with absolute conviction. “This should help with the headache.”

The bear-boy crunched up the aspirin, made a disgusted face, and downed the cookie in quick, big bites. “Thanks. I feel better all ready. This little bear is in your debt, my princess.”

“Princess?” She blinked. Could he be remembering the fight with her Shadow and not realize it? 

“Oh, why did this have to happen today!” Rise flopped back onto the bed. Her week had enough problems in it, and now an unexpected responsibility in the form of a tiny bear-boy had stuck itself to her life. After all, she'd been the one to seriously injure him. It wouldn't be right to abandon him if he couldn't even remember his name. 

The little bear curled up within the towel, and mumbled something in his language before dozing off. 

Rise thanked her friend, covered up the animal demon with her nemaki after she'd gotten dressed, and left for home. It would be a small miracle if her grandmother didn't find out about him. She prayed for said miracle, and that he would sleep through the night. 

She'd have no choice but to deal with him at the festival. Leaving him home alone in the tofu shop simply wasn't an option.


	26. 26th Scent:  The Summer Festival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first summer festival of Inaba is here! Rise has no choice but to have Teddie help out at the tofu booth.

Saturday morning. July 23th. Sunrise...

_Thbbbbbbwwwwwwwwwuuuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnnnng._

Rise snapped awake to a loud snapping sound exploding through her room. She sat up in bed and rubbed at her eyes. “Hm?” 

Teddie was sitting by the door playing with the rubber door stopper, and giggling as if he'd just found the worlds best toy. 

Exhausted and barely conscious, she flopped back to the sound filling the room, and whined. “Bear-thing....” she planted the pillow over her face to drown out the sound. That's right...she had brought that bear-demon home from the Amagi Inn late last night, because she felt guilty for hitting him hard enough cause memory loss. 

“This is the beary best thing I've ever seen!” His joy radiated through the room. “What it is?”

The pillow dropped to the floor by her weary hand as she blinked out at the dim morning light streaming through her curtains. So much for sleeping in. “This morning, it's my alarm clock.” She glowered at him as the irritating noise continued, picked up the pillow, and hurled it at him. “Stop it!”

Teddie yelped as the enormous object slammed him into the floor.

Might as well get up now. She couldn't fall back asleep, and even if she did, sleep would find her for merely a few minutes before her grandmother would take charge. That woman was notoriously punctual, and had rarely slept in. Ame Kujikawa was probably already up considering what day it was. The delicious smell of breakfast drifted down the hall to her room.

Rise slipped on her shoes and picked up the bear demon. “Stay in here until I get back, ok? My grandmother can't know you're here.” 

Teddie frowned when she set him down on the bed. “I'm hungry and it smells delicious out there.” He clutched his stomach to emphasize that he was starving.

Rise yawned. “I'll bring you something back. Just stay here.” She stumbled out of the room into the kitchen, rubbing at her eyes.

“You're up earlier than I'd expect from you,” Ame's silver hair was twisted up in a neat bun held by a jade hair stick she'd received as a present while she was a Geiko. It held incredible sentimental value to her, though she knew one day it would need to be passed on. Were they in different times, Rise would have started her training at her last birthday and the hair decoration would go to her. She greeted her granddaughter with a smile and a plate of pancakes. 

Breakfast was eaten quickly –though not sloppily, and before Rise could be questioned about why she was eating with the vigor of an athlete, she stacked more pancakes on her plate and rushed back to her room. Exhaling, she set the plate on the floor. “Here. I managed to get some pancakes for you.” Nothing answered. “Bear?” The room was empty of any other life. That could only mean...

Rise ran back out. If her grandmother saw him, she'd be dead, and he'd be out on the street with an angry boot to the pound. Panicked, Rise raced through the house. Where could that stupid animal demon kid be?

“Did you lose something?” Her grandmother cleared off the table. 

Rise froze on her hands and knees to look under the couch. Think fast... “I can't find my other sock, and I'll be late.”

“I did all of your laundry last night. It's all put away.” Ame stepped out of the kitchen just as a small slip of a shadow rushed by behind her. 

Rise quickly got to her feet. “Oh,” she smiled through a half hearted chuckle. “Then, I must have just missed it.” She ran past into her room and shut the door quickly. 

Ame arched an eyebrow curiously. Her granddaughter had her mother's knack for being flighty, and her father's eye for detail, but her behavior this morning was odd even for her. 

Rise exhaled, then scowled at the little bear-boy stuffing his face with pancakes. “You stupid bear. Why'd you leave?”

Teddie swallowed a large bite of food. “The outside looked beary inviting. These are delicious! Is there any more?”

“They're called pancakes, and yes, there are.” She slipped her socks on and grabbed her school bag. Having watching Yu and the fox, this was the only idea she could think of. “Obviously, I can't leave you here by yourself. My grandmother will see you, and I'll get in trouble, and you'll be sent off to the zoo or something, so you're coming with me.” The little bear gave her no choice. 

Teddie's eyes widened in joy. “A trip? Yay!” 

She waited for him to crawl into the bag, and left her room quickly. 

Ame watched her run from the tofu shop clutching the bag to her chest in one hand, and pulling a wagon with their supplies behind her in the other. She glanced to the rolled up cloth on the table and shook her head. That silly girl had forgotten to take the serving utensils. She'll have to deliver them, and then talk to her about rushing off without seeing everything through. 

* * * *  
The residents of Inaba awakened as the morning sun warmed the waters of the Semigawa river. Many of the shop owners already had their cars pulled up near the shrine in a vacant lot up around the street corner, and were unloading their perishable goods in preparation for the first festival of summer. The repeated pulse of hammering added its percussion to the atmosphere of men and women calling out orders, working together, and putting the final touches on their stands for the festival that night. Rise moved through the middle of the organized chaos carrying the empty bag that once held the animal demon. "C'mon, don't lag behind. You said you wanted to help." 

Teddie pulled the small cart filled with mini coolers of tofu, water, some ingredients to make individual orders there and ice behind him. "Did you have to bring so much tofu? This stuff is heavy."

“Of course,” Rise moved aside to let him haul the wagon behind the stand when they arrived at the top of the hill. “We always sell tons at these festivals, so we have to have a pretty ample supply.” She helped him move the coolers and set up. The bear boy's ears and tail were hidden, but he still complained like a small petulant child. He'd been conscripted into working as punishment for waking her up just before dawn. 

She left the task of unpacking everything to the bear and supervised. Calling him by his animal type didn't run the risk of becoming bound to him if she decided to start using another name. 

Naoto walked up to the stand and held out the steaming paper cup of coffee to Rise, who leaned heavily against the serving shelf of the tofu stand. “You look like you need this more than I do.”

“Thanks.” She was shocked the other thought of her, but the gesture made her happy. She sipped the coffee. “What are you doing here so early? The festival doesn't start for another couple of hours.”

The cat demon rested against the side of the stand with her hands stuffed into her pockets. She straightened her slim blue tie and looked up at the trees. “I'm accompanying the officers performing the morning security sweep.”

“Oh?” she could see through the cat's serious facade. “You sure you just didn't want to scope out the festival first?”

Ruffled, Naoto stood straight. “N-no, not at all. Anyway, you never said why you're so tired.” She tried to hurry the conversation away from admitting Rise was right. 

She yawned. “That bear woke me up at 6am --an hour before I had to actually get up.” 

That was the last thing Naoto expected to hear. “Bear?” She caught a glimpse of the short boy with wavy blond hair crouch down with his back to them to continue unpacking bowls. Her eyes widened. She'd only seen one other of his kind when they'd gone back to the Red World, and that had been the leader of the remaining animal demons fighting for survival against the Shadows. Could this be the same demon? “How did he get here?”

He turned, flashed her a smile, and went back to unpacking. 

“I don't know. He just showed up out of nowhere at the Amagi Inn last night. I kinda hit him really hard, and now he can't remember his name.” She stared at the design on the coffee cup's exterior. “I felt really guilty, so he's staying with me until he can recall who he is.” The cat's pin-point focus stare peaked her curiosity. “Do you know him?”

If she answered in an affirmative, her friend would beg to know the demon's name. If she stayed silent, that would increase suspicions that she knew. Her answer had to be the third option –her least desirable, but most logical at this point: Lie. “No.”

Rise sighed. “He'll have to remember on his own, then.” She turned away from her assistant and leaned on the counter top, setting the coffee down. “But if he wakes me up again, he's out on his little bear butt.”

Naoto thought back to every means she had used to wake up her parents that early, and settled on one she always seemed to go back to no matter how many times she'd been told to stop. “Did he find the rubber door stopper?”

“Yeah,” she sighed. “How'd you guess?”

“That's an amazing invention.” She chuckled. “I love that thing.”

Rise eyed her with a dubious look of disbelief, like she hadn't correctly caught the punch line of a joke. “Seriously?”

“I remember the first time I came across one of those in the police station. For a while, it was the coolest thing in the world. For some reason, the sound it made was a lot of fun.” She cleared her throat. “Sorry.”

Their friendship had reached a point where the other first year finally started to trust her and be comfortable around her. It was rare that Naoto opened up about anything, which made Rise smile. She felt honored. “Don't be. With the way you usually look, I forget you're the same age as Yosuke –whatever that may be.”

The simplest things would make Naoto smile, even though she considered herself a detective holding true to the prestige of the Shirogane name. Sometimes it felt good to act as young as she was, and to drop the mask of a serious high school student. She adjusted the cap on her head and stepped away from the stand. “I need to get back with the patrolling officers. Enjoy the coffee.”

“Thanks. See ya tonight.” Rise sipped the drink and melted into the chirping of the morning birds. It really was a beautiful spring day, and it held the promise of an unforgettable evening. Since she'd obtained an unexpected helper for the festival, she may get a chance to snag Yu away all to herself. 

The banging clatter of dishes distracted her away from her reverie. “Hey, Bear! Be careful with that.”

“Sorry, Rise,” Teddie stacked up the bowls on a side table. 

She helped him restack the boxes carefully so they wouldn't fall over. "I've got it. Look, can you go get me some ice from the truck?" Giving him something to do would get him out of her hair for a while, so she could at least relax for a second and drink the coffee Naoto gave her. Luckily for her, the little bear already possessed the ability to transform into a Human, so she didn't have to worry about concealing his true nature –unless he slipped up. 

“But we have a lot of ice already,” he whined. 

“Just go.”

Teddie stood tall and suddenly hugged her tightly. She tensed at the unexpected action. “Rest assured that I'm the bear for the job!” He hopped over the table and sauntered back through the maze of stands whistling a spritely tune.

“Don't forget to tell them it's booth P4 at the corner! Row 4!” She sighed, then smirked. He really did remind her of how a teddie bear might act if it were alive. The image of the stuffed toy stayed with her whenever that animal demon was nearby. She could never call him anything other than 'bear,' though, which was unfortunate. The name 'Teddie' would really fit his personality. Finally, she could relax a little, close her eyes for a moment and the enjoy the coffee.

Teddie hummed along as he bounded down the hill toward a cluster of vehicles nearby. He bounced up to the open gate of a pick up truck bed packed with coolers. “Hi! S'cuse me.”

A slim woman sitting daintily on a cooler stopped tapping her blue pen against a clipboard perched on her lap. “Yes?” Her tone lilted clear and friendly. She smiled beneath long, wavy blond hair at the short boy. 

“I need some ice.”

The woman clicked her pen delicately as she poised it over the form. “Ah yes. Booth number, please?”

Teddie scratched at his head where his ear would have been. “Um...” How horrible! He'd just been told by Rise not moments ago, and couldn't remember! There was a letter involved in it somewhere. “G? No, E? No, V? ... uh...”

The woman lifted a bag of ice from one of the coolers and set it on the tail gate and crouched down. Her eyes were gold –an odd color. “You're with that girl from the Tofu shop, right?”

“Yes!” Teddie grinned, not bothered by her strange irises at all. It seemed normal and not worth mentioning. 

“Your name?” 

Teddie's jaw slacked. He couldn't tell her it was 'Bear,' or anything at all. He still couldn't remember. Rise hadn't hit him hard enough for the effect to last this long. “Well, I--”

“You're a friend, then? Who are you here with?”

His posture perked up. “Rise Kujikawa and her delicious tofu!”

“Then you're in P4.” She checked off the number of ice bags given to that booth, and the time. “Come back when you need more, ok?”

“To see a beauty like you? I'll come back even if I don't.” Teddie hefted the bag of ice and shivered from the cold. “Thank you!” He sneezed. 

“Bless you. Be careful to not catch a cold. I've heard there's something going around.” She warned.

“I'll be fine. Nothing gets me down!” He took off running back up the hill. 

Margaret chuckled to herself. “What an adorable little bear-demon.” So, the leader of the last group of animal demons was now in play. This one was still very young –one of the new demons to be introduced to the valley before the Shadow infestation. He must have a name, and that caused her to ponder what had stolen that identity. Only a select few beings could affect an individual in that manner. He must have encountered one of them. 

She turned to help another boothy with an ice request, and smiled slightly. Things should prove to become very interesting. She, like her master, was intrigued at what sort of journey this new addition would help to create for their guest. 

He stopped near the top to look out at the morning glow brushing the clouds. At first, he'd thought it was a beautiful sight to be appreciated and savored –like the beauty of Rise, or that woman at the ice truck, or that girl at the Amagi Inn. As a flock of birds drifted on invisible currents beneath the rays of sunlight, it started to become more. Leaves rustled in the trees along the early summer breeze. He stared as an image scratched at the back of his mind. He remembered seeing something this breathtaking before –a very similar scene only without buildings. It lived in a quick flash through his minds eye, then disappeared. The power it held was enough to draw the content smile away from his lips. It was something special that he lost. He reached for it again, ignoring the cold ice over his shoulder, and focused to regain the image. If he could just snag it for one more brief moment, he could remember what it was all about, where it was, and why it held such strength. 

What he found held no such welcoming grace. Instead, what surfaced marred his mind by its scraping, scratching, death rattle... of chains.  
He shivered with wide blue eyes. The sound held no imagery, only horror. He stepped back, shutting his eyes tightly to will that sound away, and gripping the quickly melting ice. Why would he recall such an awful, terrifying sound? He turned to run, eyes still closed. He just needed to get away, he had to get away, he had to run and hide or else the thing rattling the chains would--

Someone slammed into him as he barreled past a booth. Ice spilled all across the pathway, melting quickly and turning the wet dirt into mud. “Ow,” he groaned.

“Watch where you're running,” the lazy drawl of a sleep deprived teen answered. 

Teddie stood. “Sorry. I guess I wasn't paying attention.” He grinned to the boy about his age.

“That's fine,” he muttered back.

Had his ears been visible, they would have pulled forward in interest. “Have we met before?”  
“No,” came a short, abrupt answer.

“Oh. You seem beary familiar.” Teddie frowned at the wet, ice-strewn dirt. “Oh no oh no oh no! Rise's going to have my beautiful hide!” He ran back down the hill. “See you later!” he waved back to the boy. 

Mitsuo stared at the ice, bent to pick up a cube, and let it melt in his hand. “That's ok,” he whispered as water dripped to the ground, “Bear.” He stood, wiped his hand on his jeans, and walked away toward the shopping district. 

Teddie explained what happened in great, dramatic, pantomiming detail to the woman in the truck, but couldn't get the solid black eyes of that kid out of his mind. They and he reminded him of the chains. 

Rise looked up as Teddie came back shrugging a heavy bag of ice. “Hey, what took you so long? They opened up to the public five minutes ago.”

He set the bag of ice down and shivered. “That's beary cold, you know. It's not nice to ask a person to carry that all the way up the hill twice.” He flopped over on a bench in the back of the booth. “I'm a pooped out bear.” 

“Twice? I only asked for one bag,” Rise began to argue, but the bear-boy was already napping with his lips draped over the bench. He really could sleep anywhere. 

Well, at least she had some silence, and another hour before the festival really started to pick up. She eyed the bag with her mother's yukata in it and smiled. Only half the day to go before she felt confident in leaving the booth to the care of the sleepy animal demon –once she trained him, of course. Then she could find Yu and have her fireworks moment. The day was looking up, and with it, her hopes and her heart. 

She tied her hair back by a white bandana, and waited for the flow of people to ebb her direction. “Good morning!” She happily greeted her first customer of the day. “Welcome. What can I get for you?”

* * * *  
_The Dojima Residence. Mid morning..._

10am, and the sun was already heating up the world outside the Dojima home. Thankfully, the air conditioner gave Nanako no troubles this morning as it filled the house with a slight cooling breeze. It was a small victory, since that machine was so fickle it didn't know if it was going to be an AC unit one day, or a hole in the wall the next. It normally only worked when it wanted do.

She sighed heavily as she leaned back on her hands to watch t.v, still dressed in her pajamas. The jaunty characters on her favorite morning cartoon usually made her laugh, but all she could think of was the festival. Her toes twitched in anticipation. Her father had said he'd be home from work early enough to go in the evening and see the fireworks. Before then, she'd been hoping to spend time with her friends. They'd asked her to join them with smiles of excitement, though before she could answer, the chatter had turned back to the one topic owning their past week at school: the art competition. 

Each kid from her grade had drawn, painted, paper-machet'd, and glued together their finest works of art to be displayed at the festival for the scrutiny and appreciation by the festival goers. The art would be judged at 5pm before set up for the fireworks, and the grand prize was 5,000 yen. That was more money than Nanako had ever saved up in her short lifetime. 

She glanced up as her cousin walked down the stairs. “Good morning.”

“Good morning.” He poured a bowl of cereal and sat on a cushion at the living room table to eat. “Are you going to the festival today?”

She nodded. “Uh huh. When daddy gets home, he said we can go, but--” she bit her tongue. Her cousin didn't need to know of her problems. Little kid stuff wasn't a big deal to big kids and high schoolers. Even if she told him, he'd probably do what her father did and 'hm' an answer while not paying attention. 

He watched her frown in her silent battle. “Something wrong?”

She shook her head, then turned a smile to him. “It's fine. Really.”

Nanako was many things—adorable, friendly, tiny, and sweet—but she wasn't a good liar. That had to be a trait from her mother, because the Dojimas, and the Setas on his mother's side naturally had amazing poker faces. He could see through the mask she put up without hardly trying. Reading people was a skill he used in kenjutsu competitions, but it also helped in getting a beat on someone. “You sure? You seem a little sad.”

She got up and walked to the table where her painting lay and picked it up. “I gotta turn this in at the art booth by noon, but I can't stay with my friends.” she pouted. 

“Why not?”

She rubbed her foot against the floor and stared at the stars on her paining. It was a picture of a clear night sky over the Samegawa flood plane. “I don't have a yukata, and everyone will be wearing one but me. They'll laugh.”

He couldn't leave her here alone. Even though he had plans to meet up with this friends at the Amagi Inn, knowing she was sitting here waiting around all day for her father and missing the festivities, would drag him down. The sun was shining, the grass was green, and there was no way he was going to let her stay indoors. “Let's go get you one, then.”

Her eyes lit up. “Really? You mean it?”

Yu finished off his breakfast and put the dish in the sink. He nodded to her with a slight smile. “Yeah, sure.”

“Wow, thanks!” She set her painting on the table and ran upstairs. “I'm gonna get ready!”

Best cousin ever, huh? That was some high praise from a 7 year old. He was thankful she didn't know anything about the TV world, Personas, or his recent run in with that transfiguring beam or she might have said 'good kitty' instead. He reached up to rub his head. The animal ear bumps were almost completely gone, the bump of a tail had disappeared, and he was very close to his original height again. 

Nanako came bounding down the stairs in her pink jumper and white socks. She slipped on her shoes, grabbed her precious artwork, and waited while he sent a text to let his friends know he'll be a little late. “Hey, you remembered your shoes this time.” She grinned as though he'd achieved something great.

“Huh?”

“You left the house without your shoes and socks every morning for a while. I thought it was funny, because Yosuke does the same thing,” she giggled.

The raccoon had been right about footwear being uncomfortable. Some of it lingered, because he still wanted to go barefoot, but the need to make a conscious effort to put shoes on every day was lessening. He actually got all the way to school once before he realized his footwear was still sitting by the door. 

He did miss being able to see at night, though. That part, at least, was pretty cool. 

They left the house with Nanako skipping happily ahead. Movement to Yu's left made him pause. Sitting next to his uncle's old 10 speed road bike locked to a notch in the wall sat a large, yellow tabby cat. He recognized it as the same one Yosuke tried to fight a few weeks back. It locked its unblinking, calculating stare at him and flicked its tail in an idle, superior motion. Then it seemed to flash a smile, clearly arrogant, and bolted off across the street. He blinked. If the cat had sensed the feline animal element still within him, it wasn't intimidated by his size. This was his territory, and he was Alpha. The fox demon's nemesis was here to stay. He smirked, knowing full well he was more powerful than a simple tom cat, and shoved his hands in his pockets to follow Nanako to the shopping district. Yosuke could take him. What was the harm in a little rivalry between animals? If it got out of hand, Yu would show that cat just who really held the title of Alpha on this street. 

Nanako waited at the end of the street for him to catch up and grabbed his hand. 

It was a fare walk through the residential block south past a field to the shopping district. Nanako held her painting as she skipped along at her cousin's side. The warm weather convinced him that wearing his short sleeved white collared shirt was a good idea.

Yu stole a long look at the Moel gas station across the street when they turned to head up the district. He made it a point to go back on his own just to check the place out. 

“That one looks pretty!” Nanako ran up the sidewalk to a small textile shop an array traditional clothing, and most were offering 'First Summer Festival' sales to entice would-be customers. 

Yu glanced up at the sign. 'Tatsumi Textiles.' He smirked. Figures, it would belong to the family of one of his friends. If Kanji was here, he'd have a good reason to hang out for a bit while Nanako tried a few bits of clothing on. 

The door slid open smoothly to a warm and homey shop. Various bolts of yukata and kimono fabric draped over bamboo poles on display. Some were folded up in the corner, and one long red stretch of silk took up an entire work table. It bore tiny marks where it was carefully measured to become someone's favorite kimono. The tailor responsible for such craftsmanship sat behind the table. She set down the marking pencil and grinned to her new customers. 

“Good morning,” Mrs. Tatsumi greeted them in her usual friendly, calm tone –the exact opposite of Kanji, Yu noticed. “How can I help you kids today?” 

“My little cousin needs a yukata.” He glanced to the clothing rack nestled along the wall. It looked like it had been brought out fairly recently, and wasn't a permanent staple in the shop. 

“Ah, I have something perfect for you, then.” She moved around the counter to the rack. “I have plenty of patterns for young girls; cherry blossoms, geometric patterns, flowers, butterflies, birds...”

Nanako tilted her head slightly to the side. So many choices! Where to begin. Thankfully, Mrs. Tatsumi had dealt with hundreds of confused customers before, so she grabbed a few, and a pretty pink child's obi, and lead the little girl to the dressing room. 

Nanako emerged a minute or so later wearing a blue yukata with flowers. Yu gave a thumbs up. Happy, she went back in to try on another with help from the elder tailor. 

Yu's phone buzzed in his pocket. He tapped on the screen to bring up the text from Yosuke. 

[Still meeting at the inn?]

[Yeah. I'll be a minute.]

[Ok cool. We're still here.]

He pocketed the phone just as Nanako spun in a tiny circle to show off the next selection. He shook his head slightly from side to side. That color of salmon just wasn't right for her...or anybody. He liked to eat it. Not wear it. “Excuse me. Do you have a restroom I could use?”

“Around the corner. First door on the left.” Mrs Tatsumi called from the dressing room.

“Thank you.” 

The door behind him slid open as another customer came in just as he disappeared around the corner. 

“Hi, Mrs. Tatsumi. Oh,” Chie smiled when she spotted her friend's little cousin exit the dressing room. “Hey, Nanako. What're you doin' here?”

“My cousin's helping me pick out a yukata” She held her arms out so the squares of the sleeves fell perfectly. It held a simple pink and white checked design. 

“Oh, that's totally sweet. Guess he's kind of like your big bro, now, or something.”

She blinked. “Big... bro?”

She chuckled her word slightly. “Yeah. He looks out for you. That's what big brothers do.”

“Big bro...” Nanako turned the title over and over again in her head, and mouthed it a few times. The words felt right. “Yeah!”

Mrs. Tatsumi brought out a white garment with bright yellow, green, and blue flowers mixed with hexagon shapes clustered together. “Here you are, dear. I got the stain out for you.”

Chie lifted the yukata to the light. “Wow, there's nothing left. Thanks.” She glanced to Nanako with a smug smirk. “My dog tried to run under the table and knocked a cup of tea onto it. Mrs. Tatsumi can get anything out of fabric, so I knew she could have it ready in time.” She set down the garment so it could be folded correctly. “No matter what's happened this year, I wasn't going to miss this festival for the world.” 

“Were you two playing Chase?”

Chie knew the girl was reaching back to when she'd watched Yu and the fox demon playing in the backyard. “Well, …. Hey, that's a really pretty yukata. You should get that one. And some geta.”

Nanako gasped happily and nodded. “Ok!” 

Having the subject diverted from animal demons in public, Chie bowed lightly to Mrs. Tatsumi. “Thanks again. My dad said he'll pay you.”  
The older woman nodded. She'd had the Satonaka's as a customer for many years, and knew they were loyal, trustworthy people. “Enjoy the festival.”

Chie left with her yukata and a grin.

Yu walked out of the bathroom just in time to see the back of Chie's head as she left the shop. He wondered what she was doing here. Nanako ran up to him. “I like this one! Chie says it's pretty and I need a geta –whatever those are.”

“They're wooden sandals.” He helped her find the right size. “Ok. That's a good choice.” 

He opened his wallet to pay for the new ensemble, including the little two-teeth wooden clogs. He paused. 

“I could have sworn I'd had enough money.” He replayed the past couple of days regarding everything he'd bought until he finally realized exactly where he'd over spent. He'd given Yosuke some money for extra snacks this week. “Oh. Right. The fox took all my yen.”

Nanako blinked up at him, and frowned at the thought of not going home with her amazing new yukata and weird wooden sandals. 

“What's your name, boy?” Mrs. Tatsumi asked politely. 

“Yu Narukami.”

“Ah,” she coo'd knowingly. “You're Kanji's friend. Well then, I can give you a discount. My son doesn't have many friends. Call this a bit of gratitude.” She offered a new price, which the young man was able to afford and be left with some money for the festival as well. “Will that be all?”  
“Yes. Wait, Actually...” That gave him another idea. “One more thing...” 

Nanako waved to the kind woman with a smile and 'click clacked' out of the shop as he paid for the new dark blue folded clothes. He jogged out when he heard the little girl yelp in distress and took her hand to steady her until she could walk on her own. To help her balance, he hung the bag holding her normal clothing across his other arm. 

“These are really hard to walk in.” she clutched at his arm.

“It takes some time, but you'll get use to them soon.” 

“You're the best, big bro ever.” She giggled. 

He paused. “Big bro?” He hadn't expected to hear that at all from her or anyone. And yet he was ok with it. Nanako hummed lightly as they walked up the street to the Tatsuhime shrine.

“I see the art booth over there!” And with that, she let go. “I can walk on my own now. Thanks!” The clacking of her little shoes disappeared into the buzz of the festival.

He spotted the Marukyu tofu stand up ahead, and figured a small snack wouldn't hurt his appetite before getting lunch later. He walked up to the booth, spotting Rise with her back turned as she dug ingredients out of a cooler. Just as he opened his mouth to get her attention, her assistant popped up suddenly like a jack-in-the-box from behind the counter. He blinked in shock. That blond hair, that silly frilly shirt, those blue eyes... It could only be one person. But what was he doing on this side? 

“Hi!” The cheery boy grinned broadly. “Welcome to Marukyu Tofu, where every day is great with Tofu on your plate!”

“I told you to stop saying that. It's stupid, and it sounds like the Junes theme.” Rise snapped. 

He pouted. “I like the Junes theme.”

Yu stared at him, blinking repeatedly. “...What are you doing here?” 

Rise gasped. She spun, dropping her bag of tofu squares and shoved Teddie aside. “Do you know him?” she blurted out. She had to stop Yu before he said anything remotely like a name. 

“...Yes. He's--”

“SHUT UP!” She clamped her hand over his mouth, which meant she was halfway over the counter. “Don't say it! You could be--”

People had started to stare. 

She cringed in embarrassment. 

Yu backed up a step away from her hand and stayed silent until the crowd realized the weird action was over and moved on. He lowered his voice. “My original question stands.”

She sighed heavily. This was not how she wanted to start the first day of the festival weekend with him. Still, he wanted to hear the story, and that meant he would stay to listen –at least for a little while. It sounded like a fair trade to her. 

He paid attention as she recounted her violent encounter at the Amagi Inn with Teddie. The bear's identity wasn't a secret to everyone who's been in the red world except for Rise. She'd been under the influence of her Shadow, blacked out numerous times, and likely didn't hear or register some of the conversation the first time they'd met the animal demons. He was relieved that Yukiko hadn't let on that she knew Teddie. They did not need another complication with being bound to a second animal demon. The two of them were having a hard enough time dealing with their own. 

He glanced to the bear-boy when she finally finished her story. “I see. Maybe he used the portal entrance at the inn to get here.”

“There's one there too?” She leaned forward on the wooden counter. This was news to her. She'd thought the only one lay hidden within the large frame of the giant T.V. in Junes.

“Every T.V. can be used in that manner. At least every T.V. I've touched.”

She eyed him carefully. That unusual sense mirroring that of an animal demon still existed with him, though it was nowhere near as strong as it was at the start of the week. Maybe she could finally get some answers if he was relaxed. “You found one there? Did you go back to that world?”  
He scooted a foot back. “I...gotta go check on Nanako. See ya later, Rise.” 

“Hey!” she called after him, though groaned when he disappeared into the crowd. She propped her cheek up on her elbow with a disgruntled 'hmph' at his behavior. “Figures.” She tapped Teddie on the head, who was still sulking on the ground for being pushed. “Sorry for that. You don't remember him, do you?”

Teddie shook his head. “Kinda, but it's right on the beary end of my brain. Right here,” he tapped on his forehead, “kinda like sticky rice.”

That made her smirk. It wasn't a bear pun, but at least it was funny...ish. She checked her phone. It was about time for her to changed. She dug around in the bag for a while, though frowned. “Darn. I left my geta at home. Hey, can you watch the stand for me?”

Teddied smoothed back his hair and gave her a thumbs up. “No problem! I've got this covered. I'll fill everyone's bellies with so much tofu that--”

“Don't use that catch phrase.”

“Awe, but it's--”

“Bear,” she threatened in a wheelding tone.

“Ok, ok,” he harumphed as he watched her run out of the festival. Then let a mischievous grin snap up the ends of his lips. “She didn't say anything about variations on a theme.” 

Spotting his first victim, Teddie practically leaped over the counter top, startling the poor woman and her son. “Tofu's great when it's on your plate, but it's more yummy when it's in your tummy!”

They hurried away from the strange boy and his bad puns.

“You're not tofu-ling me! I 'koya' want some!” His smile remained. “You can dine and agadashi!”

An old woman wearing a dark veil chuckled as she passed by. “Those puns were bad enough, that I just have to stop. Can you give me some ganmadoki?”

“Right away!” He handed over the treat just as she asked, though without accepting payment. 

“I knew a young man once who enjoyed bad jokes the same as you. You remind me of him. Ikutsuki's sense of humor never did get better.” So tickled by this odd boy and the memories it conjured of her journeys to the city, Hisano Kuroda walked away without realizing she hadn't paid. 

This continued on through the morning –horrible puns and all.


	27. 27th Scent: The Summer Festival. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yosuke gets his first yukata, Nanako learns the importance of selflessness, and the day's entertainment begins.

27th SCENT: THE SUMMER FESTIVAL. PART 2

_Meanwhile, as Yu is listening to Rise Kujikawa's story..._

“Where the heck is he? I'm gonna text him.” Yosuke quickly typed in the text.

“You've texted him three times already. Chie said he's with his little cousin. He's just late.” Kanji leaned against the window frame and munched on a box of animal crackers. He, Yukiko, Chie, and Yosuke occupied an empty room they were allowed to gather in that day in order to change and leave as a group. 

The fox flopped backward onto the floor. “I know, but I really, really, really, wanna go. I've been looking forward to it all week, ever since Rise mentioned it.” 

No one had been spared his rambunctious greetings, or bouncy fits of random excitement peppered with giddy exclamations of, 'There's gonna be games and food!' and 'Man, I can't wait for the festival!' along with, 'are you guys ready? I am. It's gonna be freakin' sweet!' And every day at lunch, they heard, 'I wonder what a festival is like. I've never seen one. What kind of games do they have? Is there sports stuff? Oh! What about fireworks? I've never seen fireworks! C'mon, weekend. Get here already. I can't wait!”

Kanji and Yukiko glanced to each other, both remembering the week full of excited fox, and said in tandem, “We know.”

“Why don't you take a nap, like Chie?” Yukiko suggested, though was met with an exasperated whine from her friend. He may look 16, but moments like these reminded her that he was just a young fox demon playing 'Human.' 

Chie had fallen asleep on the floor rug while they were waiting. She was already in her white yukata –having changed clothes as soon as she got there, but the sleepless night before had caught up to her. She'd turned into a tiny dog demon and curled up so the yellow and green bow didn't bother her on her back. Some extra zz's would do her some good. Someone would wake her up when their leader finally decided to show. 

Yukiko knelt next to her, wearing her own purple traditional ensemble. "He should have been here by now, though. He's an hour late. I hope everything is all right." His behavior the past few days had her worried considering he'd put himself in harms way to save her life. Ever since then, she'd looked at him with a mix of guilt, respect, awe, and worry. He'd made it a point to avoid being in public until he was back to normal, and she understood why, but that didn't quell her concern. If he was ever in pain, or scared, he never let it show. She envied that strength, and had begun to see the transfer student with new eyes. His presence made her happy.

Yosuke sat up and texted his friend for the fourth time. The quick occasional flick from his tail betrayed his nervousness.

"Calm your tits." Kanji glanced over his shoulder from where he stood at the window, arms folded. "Why are you so freaked out anyway? You'd know if something was wrong, right?" On the surface, he'd asked that to get his friend to stop climbing the walls, but he really needed validation for his own curiosity. Naoto hadn't arrived yet, either. 

He shrugged. “Nothing's been wrong before, so I don't ... wait... I take it back. He had a cold once.” Yosuke recalled a day close to when he'd first arrived in Inaba, before he could speak their language. “The day had been fun, but that night during an Aibou marathon on t.v, I could tell something about him was off. At that point, I didn't know how to ask him what was wrong, and there wasn't anything I could do. It sucked.” He'd felt helpless. 

"Then there's no need to worry." Yukiko picked up a cup of tea in her right hand and sipped it as her left automatically rested on Chie's soft, butterscotch-colored floppy ears and smoothed them down. Her gaze turned to their jittery friend. “But seriously, Yosuke, you're starting to get annoying.”

He paused in the middle of a fifth text, deleted it, and stuffed the phone in his pocket.

Chie smiled in her sleep and stretched out on her stomach as Yukiko scratched behind her ear. 

"How can she sleep?” He sat crosslegged on the floor. “I'm too excited to stop moving, let alone sleep." 

“She got in a fight with her parents, and actually barked at them. She hid in the dojo all night. She didn't sleep at all, though she said her parents seemed fine this morning as if nothing happened. Still, she's afraid she'll really mess up and have to tell them about her being a dog demon. She called me last night, saying how afraid she was that they might hate her, or disown her.” 

Kanji's jaw clenched at the story. He could relate. The only person who could see past his exterior was Naoto. It was funny to realize he now had that kind of a secret in common with Chie.

“Oh,” Yosuke paused, watching Yukiko gently rub the little dog demon's shoulders and back to her ears without lifting her hand. Both wore smiles of contentment. "Uh...what are you doing?"

“Hm?” Yukiko lifted her hand, though Chie whimpered softly in disapproval. “Oh, I didn't realize I was doing that. I'm sorry.” 

Chie popped one eye open sleepily, reached out, and grabbed her fingers. Reacting more than thinking, she pulled the other's hand back down over her head and resettled to go back to sleep. She'd had a very rough night. She deserved this.

Yukiko blinked in confusion, then chuckled. “I guess she likes it.” 

“That's a thing?” Yosuke arched an eyebrow. 

“I've never done this before. I just got this feeling that she needed it.” She smiled. “Well, if this makes her feel better, then I'm ok with it. After all, she's my best friend. She's always been there for me when I needed her. I suppose this is the least I can do.” 

An instinctual reaction to take care of the animal demon bound to her took over without her even knowing it. Oddly enough, it was soothing to her at the same time. They'd known each other all of their lives, and yet this seemed perfectly natural. She'd have to talk to Yu and get his take on this later on. After all, they were in this together.

Yosuke watched them curiously. Chie seemed very relaxed, and even kinda cute and harmless. It was a very simple act without any words, any ulterior motive, or any secrets –like a meditation. It just was what is was. They both seemed to gain a great deal out of something so basic. He wondered what that was like. A swirl of envy pressed in his chest, and that surprised him. He was envious of the little dog demon girl. Yu had never done that with him beyond the one time when he'd needed to be calmed down after running into the silver haired man. Yosuke had relaxed, but the encounter had destroyed anything else that may have come from the comfort. 

He looked away. All he ever got was the random quick ear scratch that would last about two to three seconds. Yu wasn't the kind of person to do this sort of thing anyway, so he should just forget about it and focus on how amazing the festival was going to be. If he could ever get there.

Kanji grumbled out of frustration. He was already wearing his yukata, so he folded his arms into the spacious sleeves. “I say we give them a few more minutes, then just meet them there.” He'd told the others the only reason he was here was because they were supposed to go to this thing as a group. Deep down, he knew he lingered in the inn waiting for the others so he could help them tie their obi. Like it or not, he was his mother's son. He glanced to a backpack on a chair and grumped. Inside, folded nicely, was a blue and white soft cotton yukata with cherry blossoms and a yellow obi. It would look amazing on the one person (besides Rise) who couldn't make it to the inn first. This was perfect for Naoto. He was pretty sure she had never been to a summer festival, so if he could give her part of the charm, that would bring him a little happiness. She would also look really cute with her soft ears and tail...

He cleared his throat. “Fox?”

“Timing it.” Yosuke set the clock for ten minutes on his phone. “The first thing I'm doing is diving into the games.”

“It's a shame you don't have a yukata,” Yukiko elbowed him. “It's part of the whole experience.” 

“It sounds delicious.” He stood and stretched. 

“It's an article of clothing.”

“It still sounds like something you fry up and eat.” 

“Goes to show how uncultured you are,” Chie mumbled.

“I am not uncultured, whatever that means!” He shot back. 

She sat up and stretched. “You'd eat a shoe if someone served it on a plate.”

“Says the dog demon,” Yosuke grinned. 

Chie was back to her Human form and in his face in an breath. “I do not chew on shoes!”

“Actually,...” Yukiko raised one finger to interject, but was instantly cut off.

“I find it hard to believe you haven't given in to the leathery smell of a loafer yet.” Yosuke goaded her.

“Oh yeah? How'd you like a shoe to your face, Hanamura?!” Chie held her own footwear inches from his nose.

“Um, well there was that one time...” Again, Yukiko tried to get her friend's attention.

“Dogs chew on shoes. It's a fact of life.”

“Unlike you,” Chie shot the word like a tiny missile right between the fox's eyes, “I have more control.” She stepped back. “Do you remember that little accident after you first got here.”

“I was stuck inside all day because it was raining! The remote wasn't working because the batteries were dead, but I didn't know what batteries even were or how to change them, and I had nothing to do! Besides,” Yosuke folded his arms. “He didn't even mention it.”

Chie laughed. “That's because I found what was left of his shoe and threw it in the trash before he got home. I'd said the neighbor's dog probably took off with it somehow when the door was left open. He'd never even known you'd used it as a chew toy.”

Yosuke stared at her with eyes the size of dinner plates. 

“Now take it back, or I spill the beans, kibble-breath,” she sneered. 

He growled. “I hate kibble, and you know it.” She'd tried to feed those nasty little balls of dried up 'whatever' to him once, but he'd thrown it back at her. As food, they were completely inedible. As small projectiles, they were amazingly perfect in a makeshift rubber band slingshot. 

“If I may,” Yukiko put herself between her feuding friends, “you aren't exactly innocent, Chie. Remember that day I went to your house and found you in the back yard gnawing on one of your father's dress shoes?” she said calmly.

Chie's victory exploded. “You... never... said....you...saw...anything.”

“Oh. I must have forgotten,” the taller girl giggled. “The two of you are K-9s. It's what you do, right? But you should really learn some self control.”

Frustrated and defeated, Chie turned her back to them in a huff. “For your information,” she muttered, “I'd gotten it away from Muku.” She sighed and hung her head. “The leather just smelled so good. I couldn't help myself. It felt so good to chew on.”

“Victory is mine!” Yosuke's fist shot into the air. 

“Enjoy it while you can,” she snarled.

Ten minutes passed, announced by the 8 bit video game tone of Yosuke's phone alarm. 

Yukiko stood and headed out with her friends, though Kanji wore a sour expression as he carted the backpack carrying Naoto's present. His goal became finding her, and making sure she had a good time. Though the recent bickering had made him wonder if she'd ever been caught doing something as blatantly animal-like as nomming on a shoe. Perhaps she'd found happiness with a ball of yarn. 

Kanji had to cough into the bag to hide a smile at the adorable imagery.

* * * *  
Nanako squinted one eyes shut as she scrutinized her painting. “I just need one more color to make it perfect,” Her eyes flicked to the stand of watercolors at the art booth. “Blue!” How many shades of blue could there possibly be? Not cerulean (she couldn't even pronounce it,) or sapphire, or navy. Just. Blue. She bit her lip as she reached for one, paused, then reached for another and paused again. Why did this have to be so complicated? She was running out of time, and none of these blues were right. Her eyes took in every color available until she spotted the perfect shade at the end of the row. It was the most beautiful rich color she'd ever seen, and was sure to at least get her painting placed in the top three. 

“So, did you find what you needed?” Yu walked up behind her, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his black jeans.

“Uh huh!” She nodded vigorously. “It's gonna look great! I'm gonna find a table and finish it right now!” She waved back to him as she ran full tilt down the row. 

By now, she'd become accustomed to the little wooden sandals. It surprised him how quickly she adapted. A slim figured moved right into her path too close for her to stop. “Nanako, look out!” 

She faced forward just in time to slam into the other person and was knocked to the ground. “Ow!”

Yu ran over and knelt down. “Are you ok?”

“My paint.” she sniffled. The small bottle had popped open when it hit the ground. Its thick, viscus liquid dribbled into a blue pool on the dirt. Luckily, none of it got on her clothing. 

“Hey!” The boy, a first year student at Yasogami high, glared at the little girl. “Watch where you're going, kid.” He brushed down his pants. His short brown hair was slicked back, and he wore a blue t-shirt over a pair of jeans. “You almost ruined my picture.” He unrolled the art tucked inside a protective tube to double check it had been spared a paint bath.

“Calm down.” Yu stood. “It was an accident.”

The kid looked from the puddle of paint to the little girl. “Tell me that wasn't the last blue.”

Nanako stood. “It...it was, but...here.” She held out the rest of the bottle. “I was gonna add to mine, but you can have it. There's a little bit left at the bottom. See?” 

“That's not enough for anything worth while.” He snapped. 

Yu gestured to the painting. “It's very good. Who is it?”

The boy's temper settled slightly as he glanced down at his work. The face of a girl lost in a dream looked back at him from her perch atop a house. “It's my sister. She loved to look at the stars. Said it would help her forget about the people in this crappy town. I never understood how she could find peace by looking at the sky...until I did it myself. I wanted to be where she was when she was happy. That's why I painted this.”

Yu put the mostly-empty bottle in his hand. “Take it.”

The boy's frown didn't disappear, but he did nod in a light thanks and walked away.

Nanako sniffled she she held her artwork. The edges were rumpled. “I can't turn this in now.”

“Why not? You worked hard on it.”

“Its ruined and it's not as good. It's just the river where mommy and daddy and I used to go.”

“That's more than enough.” He slipped it from her fingers and smoothed out the edges with his own, pressing out the creases. “I once drew the place my mother loved to go to during the cherry blossom season when I was little. It was an old Inari shrine, but she liked the koi pond.” 

“Did she put it on the refrigerator?”

“Yeah. It was up there for a whole year.”

She smiled slightly and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. “I think she loved it because you drew it.” She stared at her art. When she was little, her mother would proudly display her stick figure masterpieces and smile each time Nanako brought her a new one. 

“I gotta be back at five.” She finally said. “They announce the winners, and then there's fireworks. Daddy said he would be here in time, and I don't wanna miss it.”

“Ok, I'll see you here at five.”

She gave him a quick hug and disappeared into the festival crowd. With a renewed sense of hope, she ran back to the art booth to enter the contest. 

He watched her go, then stuffed his hands in his pockets with the paper bag from Tatsumi Textiles hanging from the hock of his right elbow. It was just past lunch, and he still hadn't had anything to eat. He could grab something quick at the tofu stand and head to the inn. He knew he was incredibly late, and that the others would be upset, but he hadn't expected to see them all walking up the steps toward him. 

“Hey!” Chie waved. “You took forever.”

“Sorry. I've been busy.”

Yosuke's eyes widened in pure glee. “Oh wow! All the colors, the lanterns, the booths, the smells of food and people and trees, and even this old beat up shrine... It's awesome!” He leaped into the air. “First summer festival, here I come! Woohoo!” 

Yu caught Yosuke's collar as his friend tried to run by. “Hold it.”

“But,” he pouted, eyeing the rows of inviting stands waiting to be sampled, “festival...”

He handed his fox the paper bag. “You need this first.” 

Curious, Yosuke dug out the contents and held them up. “It's a....doll robe?” He couldn't hide the embarrassment. “I know you guys use to get plushies so I'd have something to wear, but I think I'm beyond that at this point.”

Yukiko gasped, smiling. “It's an infant's yukata. It's adorable. What a thoughtful thing to do.”

“Even I didn't go to my first festival without one,” Yu let a small smile escape. “I figured you could use your change skill on it.”

Yosuke pulled the little geta and obi out of the bag. “I don't even know how to put this on. And what's with these weird shoes? Also, we're in public.”

Kanji snatched the clothing away and grabbed his friend's upper arm to drag him away. “You're an idiot. We're surrounded by trees.”

“But...I... wuh...wait! Yu!” Yosuke tried as he was hauled away to some trees and bushes by the stronger boy.

“Quit your whining.” Kanji huffed.

“Yuuuuuuuuuuuu!” 

He just smirked at the little guy and followed. There was a 'woosh' of energy behind the bushes as Yosuke returned to his native fox form. They chuckled at the occasional 'hold still, will ya?' and incomprehensible complaining. 

“A yukata. Nice touch, Chief.” Chie smirked. The two created a Human fence next to a food stand while Yukiko distracted the owner with questions about its weird takoyaki. Apparently the owner was friends with a guy at Tatsumi Port Island who owned a store called Octopia, and made the treats without any octopus in them at all. They sounded delicious, yet incredibly strange. She purchased a bag of the fried food for her friends. 

Chie eyed the contents of her bag warily. “There's no meat in these? What's the point?”

“It's something different.” Yukiko munched happily on hers.

“No really,” Chie couldn't look more less amused, or confused. “What's the point?”

Kanji expertly secured the obi around the tiny animal demon and rested back on his heels to examine his work. “It's still kinda big on ya, but it'll pass.”

Yosuke looked up at them, holding his arms out. The sleeves and hemline hit the ground. It completely covered his fluffy tail and bunched around his feet. They'd put him into an indigo tent. One good gust of wind could catch the sleeves and carry him away. As much fun as it sounded to fly, he let the change skill return him and the clothing to a normal Human height. Thankfully, the level of concentration he used meant the garment fit perfectly. “It is kinda comfortable, but these shoes are way bizarre.” 

Yukiko joined the group with her arms full. “I got everyone a bag of takoyaki. It's after lunch time, so I figured you'd be hungry.”  
Chie blinked as Yosuke devoured his. “I think you should be more worried about stuffing your face like that in public that wearing wooden shoes.”

That drew a healthy giggle fit out of her best friend. 

“Oh man, that hit the spot.” Yosuke tossed the bag into a nearby trash can. “Thanks. Last one to the games is a rotten banana!” He ran past the others despite how awkward the shoes were to move in, and darted from game to game, trying to see everything at once. “Guys! Look! They're selling masks! They have red bean buns for a hundred yen! And you can swim in this little pool!”

“It's an apple bobbing tank,” Yukiko volunteered. 

“We could drown him in it.”

“Chie,” Yukiko pushed her slightly. 

“What? He likes water.” She joked, keeping it light-hearted as she munched on her bag of fried goodies. “I'm only kidding,” she added around a mouth full of food.

“Hey! They're selling animal ear headbands! Awesome!” This was a golden opportunity he couldn't let pass. Faking a sneeze, he pretended to put on a pair of fox ears as his became visible at the same time. Making the excuse that he already had a pair and forgot, he ran to the next eye-catching game and ignored the accessory stand attendant's confusion. 

“Guys over here! You can throw darts at this one!” Yosuke ran up to a balloon-popping game booth. “I bet I can kick all your butts at this.” 

“Let's give it a try,” Yu put some money down for a turn. He, Kanji, Chie, Yukiko, and Yosuke all picked up darts at their end. 

The game attendant raised his hand. “Ready...”

“You're goin' down, dude.” Yosuke took aim. 

“Not after I kick your ass.'” Kanji glared at the targets, setting them in his sights.

“Get set...”

“I'll finish you all in one strike,” Yukiko set her steely senses on the target. 

“You guys should just give up while you still have your pride.” Chie readied a green dart.

Yu's eyes narrowed in pure focus. “Challenge: accepted.”

“Go!”

Darts and battle cries flew across the expanse, destroying innocent balloons and lodging into their wooden boards.

Thus began the afternoon of competition and laughter at Inaba's first summer festival of the season on the grounds of the fox's shrine.


	28. 28th Scent: The Summer Festival. Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mitsuo is back. Reality sinks in when they try to apprehend him. Naoto faces the fact that Kanji is the one who gave her a name. Ryotaro takes the group to the best place he and his sister found to watch the fireworks. It creates one of the most rare perfect moments in their lives. "Forever can last a moment, and a moment can last forever."

28TH SCENT: THE SUMMER FESTIVAL PART 3

_Outside Aiya's Chinese Restaurant..._

His watch ticked toward 5 PM. 

The cloudless sky above the city mimicked the shade of a flat screen tuned to a channel with no signal. It would be a perfect clear night for the fireworks. 

He'd been given his name in hast by someone who knew the workings of the world, yet feigned ignorance behind the mask of a complacent, societal sheep. Taro Namatame had turned his back on the wrong person. All it took was one second of opportunity for the dog demon to be stolen from the disgraced delivery man and claimed. Mitsuo was denied sharing his last name, so he held a fake one in its place, and honestly, he deserved it. 

Mitsuo leaned against the outside of Aiya's Chinese restaurant as he watched his target run up the street toward the festival now in full swing. His thin lips curled upward in an air of malicious intent. Shouts of mirth trickled down from the shrine where festival goers cheered, laughed, and spent their evening in frivolity, but he didn't care about them. There was a small police force present for security purposes, but he knew where most of Inaba's boys in blue had gone. He'd needed to clear a path tonight, so he'd given the town another distraction per his bonded's request. 

He moved quickly across the street like a slithering snake and stopped directly in the way of the running girl. “Hi, Rise,” he kept the smile.

Rise came to a halt, dressed in her mother's cream and purple yukata and carrying her sandals in one hand. She'd told her friends she would be back soon. “Do I know you? Look, I'm really late, and I have a very important date to get to, so--.” She tried to move around him, but he blocked her path. No matter how she evaded, he was just too fast. Inhumanly so. She stepped back when her power pinged back the one thing she feared: those solid black eyes, that sense...he was an animal demon, but not just any demon. She hold up her geta defensively. “Stay away from me. I'm warning you.” He'd kidnapped her once before, she'd be damned if she'd let him do it again. 

He clamped his hand around her arm and dragged her to the alleyway between Aiya's Chinese restaurant and Daidara's. 

“Let me go, you creep!” She kicked out at his knee. It connected, causing him to cry out in pain. 

He slammed his hand up under her chin to grip her face. “It's not you I'm after this time. I just wanted to see how you were enjoying your new-found power.” He squeezed his fingers around her jaw, pushing her head back at the pressure. “I saw the card enter your heart when you accepted your shadow. I can see it now, pulsing with your blood. I can see the one in the fox, too, the one in that other dog demon,” he smiled, “and the one warming Yuki's beautiful heart. The only one who confuses me is that silver haired kid. He's not like the rest of you.” The scowl reserved for the group leader shifted to a smirk. “You should be familiar with hearts. After all, you secretly crave them.”

“Shut up, you schizo. What do you want?” Rise could barely speak. The idea of him bringing up her shadow infuriated her.

“To be useful. That's all I ever want.” He leaned closer to her ear.

His breath felt like hot oil against her skin. She cringed, her heart pounding, screaming at her to run away. 

“That bear demon serving tofu at your family's stand has a name.” He smiled as the information slipped willingly to set his bonded's plan in motion. “It's Teddie. His name is Teddie.” Mitsuo leaned away and let her go. He chuckled, knowing he'd fulfilled his objective perfectly, and ran quickly from the alleyway. 

She was alone in seconds. Rise rubbed at her throat and relaxed against the wall as she fought to catch her breath. Her free hand clenched into a fist. How dare he come after her again like that! She should go after him and use a kick like Chie's to face plant his skinny ass into the ground. Yet she could only move slightly forward. Why was she shivering like this? He hadn't done anything to her...except frighten her. It had to be her past experience with being kidnapped that set it off. 

Her palm slapped against the wall at the edge of the alleyway against Daidara's shop when the muscles in her legs nearly gave out. 

“Rise?” 

The familiar voice of her friend cut through the fog of her fears. It warmed her with relief. She wasn't alone. “Naoto.”

Naoto ran over. “Rise! What happened? Are you ok?”

“It was...him,” she wrapped her arms around herself. “Mitsuo. He was here.”

“Are you ok?” She repeated more strongly. 

She nodded. “I'm fine.” She straightened and took a deep breath. 

The cat demon had seen that same brave facade in the mirror whenever she'd woken up from that Shadow nightmare/memory. It was a coping mechanism to stay in control from something that seriously terrified her. “Did you see which way he went?”

“Toward the festival.” 

Naoto sent a quick message on her phone without even thinking of the recipient, and took her hand. “Let's go. Maybe we can catch him.”   
The two hurried back up the hill where rows of yellow lanterns dotted the trees and dangled from booth corners. As the sun set, the lights brightened as guiding orbs of safety from the dark shadows beyond. 

It was nearly five o'clock.

* * * *  
Kanji dug his phone from the bag when it beeped to an incoming message. “It's from Naoto.” He and the others were nearly to the art booth to meet up with Nanako when he'd paused. “What the... You gotta be shittin' me.” He snapped.

“What happened?” Yukiko asked. She munched on some cotton candy that Chie tore a large handful from. 

“'That dog is here.' That's all it said.”

“At the festival?” Chie snatched his hand to stare at the text. “We gotta find him, guys. This might be our only chance.”

“Right,” Yu looked to each of them. “Let's split up. Kanji, go get Rise and find Naoto. Yukiko and Chie, you guys search the booths. I'll--” 

A small, excited voice cut him off. “Big bro! They're about to start putting ribbons on the art!” Nanako pulled on his arm. “Come on! Come on! Lets go! I wanna see if I won!” 

Despite being so small, she had a powerful pull when she wanted something. Yu couldn't ditch her at a time like this. “Eh.. Sorry, guys! I'll catch up.”

Yosuke smirked. “Once his uncle shows up, we can split. Lates, dudes!” He jogged after his friend and the excited little girl. Two kids pointed at him with loud shouts of 'that guy has animal ears!' He grinned broadly and thumbed behind him, telling them there was a booth back that way that sold them. The boys made instant plans of buying wolf and tanuki ears. Yosuke felt amazing. He could finally –sort of—be himself in public. He just had to make sure his tail stayed out of sight. The booth wasn't selling those.

Yu waited while the judges placed ribbons on all the entries. The display walls and shelves bristled with multicolored ribbons creating a rainbow of blue, yellow, red, and green, even a few sparse purple ones. 

Nanako frowned. Hers had a green ribbon tacked beside it – one of the 'nice try' awards. “I didn't even place.”

“You did fine anyway,” Yu consoled. One of the rare large violet first place ribbons nearby caught his eye. It's subject gazed longingly up at a night sky hued in deep shades of blue bearing white points for stars as a breeze of brush strokes swept through her long, wavy hair. He recognized it as the one belonging to that kid his cousin had run into earlier. Apparently, he'd put that miniscule amount of paint to use. He'd given the girl an aura that seemed like the subject would walk out of the painting any moment. The name of the artist below said 'Naoki Konishi.'

Surprised, he glanced to Yosuke, who was staring hard at the work of art, possibly wishing the lonely girl within could come to life.

Naoki had painted his sister, Saki Konishi. Suddenly the kids anger made sense. 

“It got a purple ribbon,” Yosuke finally said. And let a relaxed smile cross his face. “I'm glad.” At least, in her brother's skill, the girl whom he'd loved as a fellow outsider was alive –she wouldn't be forgotten. Now it was up to them to find her killer. 

* * * *  
Naoto and Rise paused at the other end of the festival near the park. “Dammit, I lost him. With all of these people, he can easily disappear into the crowd.” 

Rise's eyes locked in on the milling sea of townsfolk ahead of her. “I think I can find him. He made the mistake of showing his face to me.” She clasped her hands in front of her chest, not that it would do any good, but it helped her focus. “I can find anyone here if I know what they look like. Plus, he's an animal demon. You guys stand out like a glowstick in a dark room.”

Naoto blinked in disbelief. She'd had no idea her friend owned that kind of power. Keeping it a secret this long had to be torture. “When did you get that skill?”

Rise's sense moved from person to person, passing by giggling children and nostalgic elderly men and women enjoying an evening in their favorite traditional clothing. She moved forward, careful not to break her concentration. “When I accepted my shadow. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I was afraid you wouldn't understand.” She stopped near the apple bobbing pool and exhaled. “You guys are the only friends I have. I … didn't want to lose you.”

A world of meaning existed in the other first year student's words. Naoto could empathize. These people, brought together by rare and odd circumstances, and her parents, were all she had. 

Rise gasped and thrust her hand out. “Over there!” The two girls took off after him around a corner and into the trees. They stopped near a walking path to catch their breath as a couple walked by arm in arm. She sighed in defeat. “He's not here. Oh man!”

Naoto's ears twitched beneath her cap. “I hear something up there.” She picked up a stick and moved into the dark trees. Her eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness. Thankfully, the city's lights, and the vespers of day still provided enough for them to see. She readied the stick, slid her foot back, and pounced. “Raaah!” 'Wham!'

“Ow!” Kanji rubbed his head where her stick had connected. “What are you trying to do, kill me?!”

Naoto grimaced. “Sorry. I thought you were the dog demon.”

“Do I look like a mutt to you?”

“Hey, it's getting dark out,” Rise defended her friend. “It could happen to anyone.”

“But you were so close,” Mitsuo's raspy voice cut through the conversation as he stepped out of the shadow of a tree. 

“Hold it right there, you little shit!” Kanji ran forward to tackle the skinny kid to the dirt, then give him a few poundings. That would make him feel better at least. 

Mitsuo slid out of the way quickly, and avoided three more attempts. 

Naoto rested her hand on Kanji's arm. “You can't catch him on this side of the T.V. world.” Her eyes narrowed. “But I can.” She faked right, left, and pounced. 

The dog demon yelped as she rammed him into a tree. Though shorter, she was using her knack for logic to outsmart his moves. She'd analyzed him while he was fighting Kanji, and recognized a pattern. 

“Mitsuo Kubo, you're under arrest for the murders of Mayumi Yamano and Saki Konishi. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used--”

His loud laughter cut her off. “Right. I'm under arrest. On what evidence? And what are you going to say about animal demons? What about when I tell them about you and the fox and that dog? I'll have nothing to lose, but what about you?”

“I'll say you're lying. No one will believe you.”

“Ooh,” he drew the word out in a long sigh. “But they'll believe the one who named me. My bonded has the trust of everyone in this town. So you'd better stay our of our way!” 

She growled and pushed him hard against the tree with her hands around his neck. At her thought, she could pierce his throat with her claws. "Is your bonded behind the creation of the weapon?" 

"It's amazing, isn't it."

“Why are you trying to turn Humans into animal demons?” She demanded.

He looked down at her, gradually letting his change skill show his ears, incisors, and collie tail. “I'm not trying to do anything. I'm finding those she desires. I'm doing as I'm told, as I should. It is our job as animal demons to serve our Bonded. That is our true purpose. It's why we even exist.” Mitsuo kept his focus on the cat. “We were all given a command before we were abandoned. I must see through the fog –through the masks everyone hides behind. Do you realize how truly hideous some people are? The parts of themselves they hide can make you want to puke. I have no choice but to see that.” His solid black eyes locked into hers. “What is yours, cat? What constantly whispers to you in everything you do? What was the last command the silver-haired man left with you?”

The vice of her grip loosened. It had been a long time since she'd thought about her own time in the box in great detail. However, when she tried to recall what he spoke of, only one phrase came to mind. “Follow your instincts and find the truth.” If both of them were given final commands that continued to affect them, that meant Yosuke had one, too. Naoto's curiosity peaked. What had he told the fox?

Kanji pushed forward to let his fist do the talking. “Tell us who named you and I won't break your nose.” 

“She'll own you all! Every last one of you!” Mitsuo gripped Kanji's arm. 

The older boy cried out when the skin beneath began to burn. He threw a second punch that connected and sent Mitsuo to the ground. The dog demon scrambled to his feet, wiped at his bleeding lip, and took off into the woods. 

“You son of a--”

“Let him go, Kanji,” Naoto's dagger glare came through in her voice. She fumed as she watched him escape off into the trees, itching to run after him. 

He was tougher than that to let a burn phase him, though now his resolve to neuter that dog demon could fuel the rage of a war-hungry general. “You sure you don't want me to get that punk bent?”

“No, he has a point,” she sighed. “If he goes missing, we'll be targeted, and we can't reveal what we are. Besides, if we took him in, what are we going to tell the police? We have no evidence against him yet for the murders, and everything he said pertains to the Red World.”

“Your arm.” Rise cringed at the red hand print across his forearm.

“It's nothing. It'll heal.” Kanji grimaced. It hurt like hell, but he wasn't about to let the girls know that. 

“He used a fire skill,” The memory of that day was too clear for Naoto to ever forget. “It's how he tried to protect me and Yosuke from that giant shadow that tried to eat us. He was nearly devoured for it.”

“He can use one of those, too? Perfect,” Kanji rolled his eyes. “This just keeps getting better.”

Rise tried to see through the dark trees where the dog demon fled. “I feel kind of bad for him. Not much, but kinda. He was your friend before this?” 

Naoto nodded. 

She sighed. “We should head back to the festival, then. At least we can tell the others what we learned...what little of it we got.” She walked back toward the distant sounds of the joyful evening. Only one thing could remedy the dark turn this day had taken, and that would be in the form of fireworks next to the strongest man she knew.

Without speaking, Naoto removed her turquoise tie and wrapped it around the burn wound to protect it from the elements until he could get some medicated ointment to treat it. 

That was an unexpected move. “Uh...thanks.” Kanji walked down the hill with her. “I don't get why you didn't text Yu about this. He's the group leader.”

Naoto moved ahead of him. “That's pressing an issue that I don't have a straight answer for.” 

“Tell me why you called me.” 

“Why does it matter...?”

“Naoto, stop.” The space between them closed easily when she immediately froze in place. He'd said her name with an air of authority. It was time his assumptions became fact. “Quit being so up tight and tell me why you called me instead of him.”

Her feet felt glued to the ground. So this was what a direct command felt like. She'd experienced something similar when he'd told her to stay awake the night she'd fallen out of the tree, but she didn't recognize it as such because there was too much logic in it. Her health had been at stake. This time, he demanded an answer that she didn't know how to give. 

That sense of urgency to respond flared in her mind, through her core, all the way to the tips of her fingers. She clenched her fists against the power of the word binding as she fought to stay silent. It burned with severe need that increased the more she denied it. Answer him... Answer him... ANSWER HIM! Although it wasn't an audible voice, its demand grew in ferocity. Admittedly, a part of her wanted to comply. She'd been right in what she'd told Yosuke the other night at the Inn: It's nearly impossible to overcome a direct command.

She turned slowly, stared at Kanji's boots as she gnawed on her lip, then finally willed her eyes up to the blond's. She saw past his rough exterior, his tough kick-ass facade, straight to the part that once carefully removed a splinter from her tiny hand with the skill of a surgeon. Go figure, it would have to be the first year juvenile delinquent that she trusted.

With her life.

“Because...” She grit her teeth and finally gave up fighting the command. Allowing herself to obey released the pressure building up in her mind and chest. “You're the first person I thought of.” The words flowed swiftly. Stopping them would be as effective as a sponge nailed to a wooden stake in front of a flash flood. “You're always the first person I think of when I'm feeling nervous, or alone, or scared, or happy. I have the same nightmare about that other world as the fox, and every time I do, I want to call you. You're the one I wanted here, because I know that if you're here, then I'm—”

“Safe,” he said. 

That was true, but not quite the right word for what she wanted to convey. Her eyes met his. “Stronger.” 

He'd been right all along. All it took was that one brief moment where he'd given her a name to change both of their lives forever. He frowned.

As did she. “You're upset.”

“No, I'm... ugh... what's the word...”

“Processing?” She finished.

He grumbled in agreement. “Naoto, look... I know you thought your mom named you, but... it was me. She suggested the name, and I took it. I didn't know what would happen, I swear. I thought animal demons were made up in storybooks and stuff like that.”

She smiled. “I thought so. I had my suspicions.”

“Why the hell didn't you say anything?”

“Because of something Yosuke said to me once at the inn. It opened my eyes to the idea that I was bound to someone else. I wasn't sure, so I didn't want to make assumptions without having enough evidence first. But even then, I guess I already had more than I needed. I just couldn't see it.” She looked up at him with unblinking, serious eyes. Slowly, she released her hold on the change skill enough for her tail to show, and removed her hat. The fur on her navy blue ears caught in the breeze with her short hair. Once she admitted the truth, she could never go back. Her life would change, but she was ready for it. She wanted this. It meant she truly belonged. “You're my Bonded, Kanji Tatsumi. And I'm ok with that.”

Any response he'd prepared dissolved away. Hearing her say it permanently knotted that fact into reality. 

She sighed. “Which means I'm not really a Shirogane.”

He snapped back to his own body. “That's bullshit. You're an amazing detective –a detective prince, for Christ's sake – I couldn't have taught you anything like that. Finding the truth is what you do, and that's exactly what you should be. Hell, you might even make me a better person. So I don't want to hear any of this defeatist talk, got it?”

She smiled and replaced her hat. “Got it.”

They faced each other in awkward silence just outside the bubble of festivities at the shrine.

“So I...guess we should get back, then.” Naoto hid her tail once more. 

“Probably a good idea.” His eyes snapped open. “Oh, uh...I almost forgot.” He withdrew the clothing from the bag and held it out to her. “This is your first festival, after all. Even the fox got one of these. You should wear it and just enjoy yourself.”

She took them. “They're beautiful, but...I wouldn't even know how to put this on.”

He smirked at the deja vous. With her permission, he helped her put the yukata on over her clothes and tucked her shoes in the bag. She was even shorter without the lifts, and the yukata nearly touched the ground. He tightened the bow at her back. “There.” She was perfect. Just one thing remained. He reached for her hat, though paused. That was her protection, her security –she never went anywhere without it. However at this festival, she could show her ears, and people would think she'd purchased a headband. 

Taking the risk, she nodded. 

With respect, Kanji removed her hat and held the small article of clothing in his hand. He knew she was trusting him, and in doing so, taking a step toward accepting him. He handed it back so she could tuck it into her sleeve.

The new clothing, and the light of finding the one who named her worked to push the encounter with Mitsuo to the back. They would deal with him later. 

Besides, the fireworks would begin soon. There was no way she was going to miss that. 

* * * *   
A crowd gathered at the steps of the shrine for a prime view of the fireworks. They chattered about how amazing it would be. Children bounced in variations of the pee-pee dance to barely restrained excitement. For some of them this would be their first show. Even a few adults couldn't hide their eagerness. Fireworks were a special occasion for people of all ages. This was the first major summer event in Inaba.

Rise had been right about this being a big deal in Inaba. Yu hadn't seen a gathering this big for a show since he was a kid. Of course, he'd never had the chance to experience the hype a small town gave to something that seemed so simple on the outside. He stood with Nanako near the back while Yosuke had gone to get them some snacks. They were supposed to meet his uncle here, so they couldn't leave the area. 

He moved aside to let Aika Nakamura, the workaholic employee of Aiya's Chinese Restaurant pass by with a cart full of orders to serve at the restaurant's booth. 'Just leave the bowls,' she'd always say in a bored tone of voice. How exactly would she find bowls that could be carted anywhere in town? He'd have to order some nikudon and check for tracking devices. 

Nanako fidgeted. 

He looked down at her. By the way she acted, she was probably afraid her father wouldn't be able to keep his promise. He sincerely hoped he wouldn't let her down again.

“Hey, I'm back. There was a line around the corner for that weird takoyaki, so I just got some cotton candy.” Yosuke tore off a piece and munched. It was his fourth cone of pink sugary amazingness, but who was counting? 

Yu'd been counting. He took the cotton candy and tore a huge chunk out of it before handing it to Nanako. 

“Hey!” Yosuke frowned when he got the depleted paper cone back. He nibbled on the remains of the fluffy, pink cottony dream. He sniffed the air. “I smell steak...”

“We finally found you!” Chie walked up to them. “Lost that kid, though. He just disappeared into thin air. Oo! Cotton candy!” She tore a huge piece away, further shrinking the treat's girth. 

“Paws off! Get your own!” Yosuke horded it like it was made of gold. 

Yukiko held her small purse in front of her. “Kind of a horrible place to stand, isn't it?”

Nanako bounced on the balls of her feet. “I can't see anything,” she frowned. 

“I know a good spot.” 

Everyone turned to the new voice. Dojima walked toward them with his jacket slung over his right shoulder. 

“You made it!” Nanako threw her arms around her father. 

“I promised, didn't I?” He ruffled her hair. “Paperwork can sit until morning.” He waited a beat as Naoto and Kanji were the last to join them.   
Rise showed up seconds later with Teddie beside her. She'd gone to get the bear demon and made sure to tell Kanji the back story so he wouldn't mess up and accidentally say his name if he knew it. She'd propped up a 'closed' sign for the important event. Her grandmother would come by to help her take the ice chests home later on so they could be refilled for tomorrow. “Sorry we're late.”

“Hey, isn't that—“ Yukiko began. 

“So, where is this spot you were talking about?” Yu interrupted. He'll tell Yukiko on the way to the mystery spot.

“Follow me. Nanako, do you have your shoes?” 

Kanji removed the bag from his shoulder. He'd put her clothes –which were in her shopping bag when she'd bought the yukata that morning—into it for safe keeping since her cousin didn't have anywhere to stash them. He removed her little sneakers and socks and handed them over. She changed into them, and took her father's hand. 

Dojima had secretly planned this all day. It would take about ten minutes to walk there, but he knew it would be worth it. Once they were ready, he lead them away from the closely-packed crowd down the shortcut path. Instead of going straight down a slim path at the edge to go south, he turned up a hill north toward the center of another wooded area. 

They passed a small shrine set next to some stones. It looked worn and hardly used save for one white flower in a conservative blue glass vase as a companion to a solitary orange. Someone in Inaba knew it was still here. Yu thought whatever deity it belonged to must be grateful that someone took the time to remember.

Rise explained Teddie's presence on the way up. 

“Another one?” Dojima groaned. “Jeeze, where do these things keep coming from?”

The group hiked to a small hill home to a cluster of trees on the north side. It wasn't big, or impressive, but it was open to the sky. The grass was fresh, and the area vacant of any recent Human activity. Maybe one or two people knew it was here, —it was still within the city limits, of course—but other than that, it held an air of isolation from the rest of the town. 

“Whoa, this place is killer,” Kanji set the bag down and stretched. “I never even knew this was here.”

“I expected some people to be here at least. Guess people really forgot about this place,” Dojima let his memories live once more—a treasure only he could know. 

“You can see most of the town from here.” Chie smiled at the view. 

“It's got an amazing view, and the grass is perfect,” Yukiko glanced around. “No one else is here.”

“This will be perfect for the firework show, Detective Dojima,” Naoto said.

“Wow, we get this hill all to ourselves?” Nanako ran out to the middle. 

“Unless anyone followed us.” Dojima moved toward the center and sat on the grass, propping his arms across his knees. He exhaled the stress from a busy day on a recent case and glanced to Yu as the youth stood beside him. He watched Nanako, Yosuke, and Teddie race back and forth across the top of the hill, likely a product of consuming tons of sugar. “Your mom and I used to come here as kids. Best seat in the house.”

“She never talks about her life here,” Yu said, “But this area does remind me of the old shrine she used to go to to practice.” 

“She hated living out in the boonies. When she left, she swore she'd never come back. Said it was up to her to keep the family style alive since I chose to become a cop, so she trained in every dojo she could find.” He took in his nephew's posture and leaned back on his hands. “She trained you, didn't she.”

Yu nodded. “Since I was three.”

He chuckled. “Guess I shoulda seen that comin'. I'm the gun side of the sword family. You've competed?”

He nodded.

"And won?"

He paused a moment, then nodded once. 

Ryotaro clicked his tongue in thought and sat up. “She passed down all the techniques, too.”

“There's still one she won't teach me.”

He mused in a knowing chuckle. “The Dageki Hotaru. Good luck getting her to spill those beans. Your mom is the only one who can do it. If you're anything like your her, you won't learn that move until your mid twenties.”

At first, Yu hated the idea of being stuck here for a whole year, but the longer he was here, the more his view began to shift. 

Yu looked back at the trio, and noticed Yosuke had let his tail become visible. Naoto was talking to Rise, but she'd done the same, as did Teddie and Chie. Seeing as they had the place to themselves, and everyone knew their secret, they felt safe. 

Inaba might not be so bad after all. 

A gentle, yet bubbly female voice echoed from the speakers below. “Attention everyone. Please turn your eyes to the southern skies. The show is about to begin.”

“It's starting!” Nanako ran over to join her father and cousin. 

Dojima stood as everyone gathered to watch the first sparking, white pyrotechnic streak cut through the sky. It disappeared for a second, then suddenly exploded in a brilliant shower of reds and greens that shifted to gold. Everyone let out gasps of amazement. The three animal demons jumped. Streaks of fire soared through the air and burst into plumes of blues, oranges, and greens. Those were quickly followed by more rings that glittered toward the ground and dispersed over the Samegawa flood plane, lighting up the homes and the two ships facing off with the bombs on board. 

Naoto's ears flattened at the first concussions. She hadn't been prepared for that. However, the large hand that took hers calmed her down. She glanced up to Kanji, briefly surprised, then back to the show. Her hand tightened around his. 

Nanako recoiled back at the sound, but the pure beauty was more powerful than her fear. The fireworks were much bigger than she'd imagine, and felt like they were right in front of them. She laughed. “Wow!”

Yosuke's eyes lit up. His jaw dropped as he gasped in pure awe. He'd never seen anything so big or beautiful in his life. The colors reflected in his eyes, stealing away any thought. It was absolute amazement. The concussive blasts reverberated around them as though they were inside a giant bass drum. A large red firework exploded overhead, and shocked him enough that he lost control of the change skill. He focused to return from his native form when Yu crouched down next to him with his arm out.

“Come on, little guy,” He said simply. 

Yosuke kicked off his shoes, and climbed up to sit on Yu's shoulders as his friend quickly straightened up. The explosions frightened him a little, to be honest. Still, this was definitely a much better view. 

Chie cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted as loudly as she could within the sound waves of fireworks. “Tamaya!”

“Tamaya!” Yukiko joined her with the broadest smile she could wear.

Not sure what was going on, Nanako stepped forward. “Tamaya!”

“Tamaya!” Yosuke cheered from his shoulder seat. He stood and planted his hands on Yu's head. 

Yu actually laughed a little. Oh, why the hell not? “Tamaya!” He shouted. 

“Tamaya!” Naoto and Kanji joined in. 

“Why are we shouting that?” Yosuke asked. 

Yukiko's eyes were glued to the spectacular display of pyrotechnic wonder. “Tamaya was the name of one of the two families who were incredibly influential to creating fireworks in Edo...er..Tokyo. The other is Kagiya.” She realized he wouldn't know what 'Edo' was. “He started a fire a long, long time ago in the city, but even so, every time there's an amazing display of fireworks, people shout his name to show how much they're thrilled by what they see. It's a huge compliment to the pyrotechnicians, even though they probably can't hear anyone from the boats.”

Chie nudged her friend. “History lesson from Yukiko, 101.”

“I also wonder if we can roll all the way down this hill,” she mused. 

“Random off topic comment from Yukiko 101,” Chie chuckled. 

Yu felt the weight of the fox demon rest on top of his head and heard him yawn. That was the first sign of a future sugar crash, and it let him know that Yosuke would not be awake later for the trip home.

The group of animal demons and Humans let the fireworks display surround them. It rode the wind, played through the trees, and thrummed through the earth as trails of light ignited night to the brightness of day. Yasoinaba's first summer festival did not disappoint.

Fulfilled, Yosuke rested his chin on his arms and lost himself in the amalgamation of stunning colors. This –the entire scene, the whole moment—was exactly what he wanted. 

If only it could last forever.


	29. 29th Scent: Part Time Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yu gets a summer job at a day care.

29th SCENT: PART TIME WORK

_August 1st. Monday..._

Yu needed a summer job. 

There was no avoiding that simple fact. 

His wallet weighed significantly less than it should at this point in the year, and only one thing demanded so much of his funds—ok, make that six—and they were all his friends. He hadn't intended to pay for anyone but himself for a year, and although the others were capable of paying for themselves, he'd bought the occasional round of beef sticks at Junes, many nights of dinner ingredients, and bowls of nikudon at Aiya's. 

That Rainy Day special of theirs still kicked his ass, but someday he would finish it. ...Someday. It had become a race between himself and Kanji as to who would clean their bowl first. More training, diligence, and courage was needed to attain this goal. That, and his account couldn't handle many more attempts. 

Add that to purchasing items to help the fox demon integrate into society, and it all culminated into an empty wallet. Of course, the Hanamuras took care of Yosuke's needs once he moved in with them. Regardless, he'd taken trips during those two months to the giant department store with a stow-away fox in his school bag in order to buy plushies with removable clothing the tiny demon liked to create his first wardrobe. The plushies were donated, though the fox and Nanako kept some. 

Although those times were over, it still took out a chunk of change he hadn't budgeted for. Hence, Yu needed to recoup his losses with a summer job. 

He'd been out getting some fresh air the day after the festival when he'd passed by the Inaba Daycare Center. The small, two storied older building smiled in bright primary colors behind a fenced-in play yard, and held a 'help wanted' sign placed neatly in the middle of a cheerful blue window frame. Figuring the knowledge he might gain here would help him better connect with Nanako, working part time could be useful.

He walked inside to be instantly greeted by a cacophony of squeals, screams, crying, and noise, ...and applied. To his shock, they hired him immediately based on his living situation with his little cousin. According to the head assistant, Mrs. Nakajima, no one else wanted the job. Yu thanked her, and left to prepare for his new title of 'daycare assistant' the next day. 

* * * *  
_August 15th. Monday..._

A week later, and three days into part time work, Yu quickly adapted to being a mobile piece of climbing equipment for the children. He'd carried them asleep to the mats for nap time, caught many items thrown his direction, and endangered his shins while breaking up fights –particularly between Yuuta, a smaller boy, and Sosuke, a kid with short reddish-brown hair in the same cut as Naoto's. 

Naptime for the third day finally arrived. He sank heavily into a too-small bright yellow plastic chair and exhaled, draping his arms across his raised knees. The height of the furniture and toys here would be perfect for the animal demons in their native form. Perhaps he could bring Nanako and Yosuke here to play after hours. After a second enjoying the blessed silence, he moved to the small kitchen, and cracked open the tab on a cold Cielo mist with a sharp 'ksst!' 

“Yu?” Someone small tugged on his off-white apron. 

He glanced down at the little dark-haired girl. The pink dress she wore was her favorite, or so he guessed since he'd seen her in it every day. “Akane? You should be taking a nap with the others.”

“My head hurts,” she mumbled. 

He set the soda on the counter and knelt down to place his hand against her forehead. It was far warmer than it should be. He wet a washcloth under cold water in the sink, wrung it out, and placed it against her head. “Hold this here. I'll call your mom.” 

Akane shuffled over to wrap her arms around his leg, forgetting about the cold compress. 

For some reason, this little girl had become enamored of him since day 1. She followed him like a puppy, did everything he asked of her –like cleaning up her toys, or sharing, and often asked him to paint with water colors with her. She was one of the more obedient and mature pre-schoolers. In that way, she reminded him of Nanako. They weren't too far from the hospital. He could carry her there faster than waiting for her mother to arrive. 

Thankfully, Mrs. Nakajima agreed to his idea. She made the call to Akane's mother while he left with the little girl clinging to his neck as though he were a source of life support. In a way, he was. She was five years old, and trusted him completely. 

He explained what happened to one of the nurses, and Akane was soon taken in to the care of professionals. Moments later, Akane's mother rushed in. She thanked him for being so diligent and watchful, bowed in respect, and hurried in to be with her daughter. 

Satisfied that Akane would be fine, he thanked the nurse as per societal standards of polite behavior. 

The nurse slid up close, smiling behind vixen eyes. “My, you're a cutie. Would you like to study with me? Perhaps a subject that they don't teach in school, if you catch my drift...”

He caught it, all right, though still managed to say, “What do you mean?” like a fool.

She turned her devil eyes up to him, though what he saw in them was a world-weariness and loneliness despite the purr in her words. “What do you say you and me go hit the town, huh?”

“Uh,” he stepped back, unprepared for her straight-forward attention. “Maybe some other time.” 

She slipped her business card into his pocket and stepped back. “Suit yourself, handsome. Call me for anything.” Though the curve in her painted lips remained, all tigress intrigue in her voice gave in to a deeper fatigue. 

Yu wished her a pleasant day and quickly fled the hospital. He exhaled in relief once he was far enough away, and withdrew the card. It read 'Nurse Sayoko Uehara' in bold print with her phone number listed beneath her title of Registered Nurse. He entered the number into his phone anyway. Considering the nature of his part time job, and what had just happened with Akane, it might come in handy. She did seem like she needed a sounding board, though. Recognizing this only made him wonder if he should consider a psychology major once he entered college.

* * * *  
_August 18th. Thursday. Two days later..._

Yu awoke late that morning with a slight headache that refused to go away, even after taking some pain killer with lunch. It was unlike him to sleep in so late. He managed to catch Tanaka's Amazing Commodities, ordered the model kit, and left for the daycare to pick up his paycheck. Mrs. Nakajima had taken a group of five-year-olds to the park, so he ambled in his time walking there. All the while, the headache failed to recede. If anything, it was getting worse. Maybe he'd caught what Akane had. He frowned. It would suck to get sick during summer vacation. He'd have to stay home and keep away from Nanako, but at least he'd have time to put his model together once it arrived. 

Slate gray clouds dulled the sky. It wasn't enough for rain –as the weatherman had said it would simply be overcast today—but it was enough to block out the sun. A cool summer breeze carried leaves along its path, and felt good against his skin. He was glad it wouldn't rain. Inaba's summer storms could be violent.

Yosuke hadn't tried to get ahold of him all day, which was odd. In fact, he hadn't heard from anyone. Some alone time was good, and he liked getting to breath, but he couldn't shake the sense that he should check up on someone. He held his phone, but paused. No, they needed time away, too. They were all still friends. A couple of days to be alone was healthy in friendships. Besides, he'd had his hands full lately. 

The phone slipped back into his pocket. It was weird to at least not hear from the fox, though. 

His vision blurred for a second, then settled. He pulled at his collar and wiped at a few droplets of sweat from the back of his neck. Something was wrong with him, but he was sure he wasn't sick. If he had caught anything from Akane, it was way too early for symptoms to show up. 

As soon as he arrived at the park, he was beckoned over to help break up a fight between Yuuta and Sosuke—again—even though he wasn't working. The noise pushed the pounding in his head up a notch. 

Mrs. Nakajima frowned when he politely inquired about his paycheck. “That's right! I forgot you were coming by. I'm sorry. I got so wrapped up in everything yesterday that I just mailed it.”

He was a little disappointed, but it was what it was, and he was in no great need of it now. “That's ok.” 

The way he remained level-headed through any incident impressed her, as did his ability to calm down the kids –well, anyone he spoke to, including herself—and that gave her an idea. “Yu, out of curiosity, how are you at English?”

“I'm ok.” He wouldn't say he was among the highest marks in his class, but...

“How would you feel about being a tutor?”

"Me? Be a tutor?" 

"Why not?" She smiled. "You can earn a little extra money on the side, plus you're good with the kids here." She brushed her long, straight brown hair behind her ear delicately with two fingers.

Two of the children ran over to him with wooden pinwheel flyers in their hands, begging him to show them how to make them soar. He knelt down, kindly demonstrated the simple toy once more, and caught it on the way down. The two kids stared in awe. He handed their toys back. The kids started daring each other to see who's could fly the highest, and gamboled off across the grass. Satisfied, he returned his attention to her. “Who would I be tutoring?”

She hesitated. “My son, Shuu. He's in middle school.”

The manner in which she'd forced out the request made him believe she'd received negative results. “I guess you've tried to ask for help before.”

She sighed. “He's impossible when it comes to his studies. He chases everyone away. I've tried to teach him, but he won't listen to me. After watching you interact with the kids, my confidence that you can survive his stubborn, lazy academic attitude is high. Honestly, I think you might be the only one who can handle him."

That was high praise considering she hardly knew him. Why not? It could prove to be an interesting challenge. He already had experience teaching the fox how to speak. Some of those tactics may work on Shuu. “Sure. I'll keep—“

A wave of dizziness swept over him, amplifying the headache and mocking his attempt to subdue it with pain medication. It felt reminiscent of the migraine he'd experienced when he'd first arrived in Inaba. He squinted as the overcast sky became too bright, like staring into a naked light bulb. A strong, sharp image of the base of a cherry tree freed of its blossoms replaced his vision in the span of a breath. What had that been about? It felt like he'd actually been in another place for a split second. If he was becoming ill enough to have hallucinations, he seriously needed to get back home before it got any worse. He breathed when the brightness of the world returned to normal. “I'll...keep and open mind.”

“Are you all right?”

The pain subsided, but he still felt increasingly ill. “I'm fine.” 

A droplet of water tapped against his face. He looked up at the thick dark clouds threatening a downpour.

Mrs. Nakajima groaned. “A pocket storm. I was afraid of this. Quick. Help me get everyone under the shelter.” 

Yu powered through the nausea and dizziness to help her corral all the kids. Most of them screamed in surprise when the clouds burst open, though Sosuke and Yuuta jumped in the quickly-formed puddles. How those two could fight and still be friends, he had no clue. Only the two boys suffered from being completely drenched. They didn't seem to care. 

He leaned against a support pillar of the covered picnic table and watched large raindrops hammer the dirt in fast, percussive beats.

“That came out of nowhere,” Mrs. Nakajima pushed back her wet hair. “It was supposed to stay overcast today, but those pocket storms can be hard to predict. We just have to wait it out. See?” She pointed to the west. “There's the edge of it.”

The storm would only last a few minutes. He blinked and sat on a bench as the image of the tree—and a quickly filling puddle—returned. 

“You sure you're ok?” She rested a hand on his shoulder in concern. 

“I feel like I'm going to throw up,” he relented in a whisper so the kids laughing and talking at the end of the table wouldn't hear him. 

It didn't work. The entire class leaned away from him with muted remarks of 'ew.'

Her concern deepened. “I can call your uncle.”

“No, I'll be fine.” The clock on his phone said it was 2pm. “The storm will clear soon. I'll go home then.”

“All right. Be careful.” She left him alone to tend to the pre-schoolers and keep the boys out of the rain. 

Sure enough, a few minutes later, and the sky returned to a light gray as if nothing had happened, yet the world was now covered in cool crystal droplets. He bid her farewell, and left the shelter. Moving had diminished the severity of the effects, so at least he felt like he could walk home...or at least to the Amagi Inn. He was closer to Yukiko's place, and knew she had every tea in the world. There had to be something there he could take to get him well enough to go home. Then he could just sleep this off. 

He moved through the streets for the inn, stopping every once in a while when that image of the tree—this time shimmering with raindrops—returned. He stumbled into the inn at 2:30. 

“Yu? Hey, are you all right?” Yukiko rushed from behind the front desk to help him when he collapsed to his knees. “Yu!”


	30. 30th Scent: The Mysterious Affliction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All three animal demons send a 'help' message to their Humans when they're hit by a sudden, unexplained illness.

30th SCENT: THE MYSTERIOUS AFFLICTION

Yukiko was on the verge of telling her mother she'd been fighting a headache all day and wanted to curl up in bed, when the doors to her family inn had slid open. Without waiting, she lead Yu back to her room so he could sit on the floor in private. “What are you doing here? You look terrible.”

He inhaled. “I'm fine. It's just...” He noticed she'd slumped into her chair. “You look like death warmed over.” 

She didn't doubt it. Her head pounded, and it felt like the temperature in the room had gone up a few degrees. Normally the heat didn't bother her, but for some reason, she wanted nothing more than to sink into a cold bath and just soak. She sighed, got up to turn the light off above their heads, and sat back down. The room was too bright. That glaring light didn't do either of them any good. She heard him exhale in relief, welcoming the cool darkness. “Maybe something's going around.”

“I was hoping you had a tea for this.” 

“I do. Mint and ginger. I've been drinking it all day, but it hasn't helped.” She moved as if to get up, but froze, staring off into space. After a second, she leaned back and blinked with the far-off gaze of someone coming out of a dream. 

He waited while another pocket storm burst to life outside.

Yukiko touched her fingers to her head. “I keep get these flashes of a fence post near a field.”

It was an odd segue into a conversation, but if it helped her focus, he'd join in. “I keep seeing a cherry tree.” 

She stopped, stunned that he was experiencing something similar. 

He thought back to it, though there was nothing significant about the tree. It was too generic without any telling landmarks to isolate its location. 

“It could be a coincidence,” Yukiko tried to rationalize. “We do pass a lot of trees and fields every day.”

The familiar 'pi pi pi' of Yukiko's ringtone lit up her phone. She read the name on the screen and answered it, swallowing back another wave of nausea. “Hello?”

Kanji's muted voice came back through the thin speaker. “Hey, sorry to bug ya, but I know you like tea and all that. I was wondering if you got any recommendations for not puking all over the floor?”

She blinked at his brazen statement, holding the phone back as though his ailment could come through it. “You're sick, too? Geez, what's got ahold of everyone suddenly?”

“Huh? Don't tell me you feel like crap, too.”

This officially went from coincidence to 'weird.' Yu moved over to lean heavily on the desk. 

Yukiko understood. “Hold on, I'm putting you on speaker.” She pressed the small button on her phone and set it face up. 

“Did anyone else get sick that you know of?” Yu asked.

“Oh, hey, dude. This got you, too, huh?” 

“Ironically, I came here for the same reason you called.”

Kanji shrugged on his end of the line. “I was over at Marukyu's picking up an order. That bear-demon was behind the counter complaining of a headache, and he looked all pale, then he ran upstairs like he couldn't get to the bathroom in time. I wasn't feeling too hot, so I went home” He slumped against his headboard, a ball of yarn at his side. He'd thought working on a project would help him relax. 

“Are you seeing flashes of any places?” Yu suddenly asked. 

The taller first year blinked. “Huh? How'd you know? Yeah, I keep seeing the ass end of a set of stone stairs. They look like the ones at the flood plain.”

Yukiko blinked. “We're all seeing things. Don't you think it's weird?” She paused from a wave of dizziness, then glanced to her tall friend, noting Yu was sweating as though from a fever. Kanji was likely in the same state. 

“Kinda.” Kanji breathed. “Hey, where's the steak girl and that fox?”

“I haven't heard from them all day.” Yu said. 

Kanji frowned. “Haven't heard from Naoto, either. She's not answering her phone.”

The two at the inn locked eyes with each other in silence for a moment. Yosuke hadn't answered his phone, and he knew by Yukiko's expression that neither had Chie. 

Finally, Yu dialed Rise's number. 

She picked up after a few rings. “Hello?”

“Hi. It's Yu.”  
“Oh, uh...hi. What's up?” Her voice perked up.  
He noted that, but let it slide. “I heard that the bear demon was sick.”

“Yeah. How'd you know?”

“I'm psychic.”

“Really?”

Yu paused for a beat. She actually believed him? “...Kanji told me.” He put his phone on speaker, creating a phone conference on Yukiko's desk.

“Oh. Well, he said he felt like garbage. He's all sweaty like he has the flu, he's complaining of a headache, and he threw up once.” It came through her voice that she'd scrunched up her nose in disgust. “He was fine this morning, then suddenly...boom. Thank God my grandmother's out of town today.” She turned toward a lump under a blanket on a pile of clothes by her window. Tears threatening to overflow. “When I got home, I found him curled up in the bathtub shivering even though he'd wrapped a towel around himself. He's running a high fever and he won't eat or drink anything. I'm really worried and don't know what to do. He's a bear demon. It's not like there's a book I can read, and the internet hasn't been helpful at all.” She frowned. 

“Rise,” Yukiko said. “Did you start feeling sick this morning?”

“Oh, Hi, Yukiko. Uh... no. I'm fine, but...you two don't sound that great.” She cleared her throat, suddenly more aware of her words. Yukiko was her friend, but with Yu, her nervous level rose to a hundred. “Why?”

“Kanji, Yukiko, and I all have flu symptoms,” Yu waited a moment for the image of the tree to pass. The clouds had darkened the late afternoon despite it being summer. “I'd thought if it was something we were all exposed to, then you might be sick, too.” Her being well blew his theory into tiny pieces. That left the three no one could get ahold of. His need to get to the Hanamura residence was increasing at an alarming rate. 

“I'm fine, and everyone I saw in the shop seemed to be in good health. Aiya dropped off my lunch. She looked tired, but she's always working, so that's a thing.” She gasped slightly. “If the three of you got it and no one else did, ...you don't think it has something to do with the bond between you and your animal demons, do you? Have you heard from them at all? Are they ok?”

Yu's eyes snapped open. “Thanks, Rise. Keep an eye on ...the bear. We'll call you.” He cringed, chiding himself for nearly saying that demon's name out loud, possibly binding himself, or getting her in similar trouble. 

“Ok. Good luck.” She hung up. 

Yukiko looked up at her friend. His eyes held a far away stare. “Yu?”

The same cherry tree scene became his world, then it was gone. The flashes were occurring closer together, as if its need for recognition was rising. He leaned against the desk. At least in her presence, he could say the bear's name and not risk repercussions. “If Rise found Teddie ill this morning, and Yosuke, Naoto, and Chie won't... or can't... answer their phones...” 

Yukiko bit her lip. “Oh no...”

“Oh shit,” Kanji cursed through the phone. “Then what we're seeing is where those three are? How is that even possible? Awe man, this 'bond' thing keeps getting better and better,” he grumbled. He slid off the bed, knocking the yarn ball to the floor without care, and ran to the hall. “If these pocket storms keep showin' up, she'll be in deep shit.” He hopped as he hastily put his shoes on and grabbed his leather jacket. “Crap, I gotta run! I'll call ya.” Kanji ignored his mother's warning and barreled outside. 

Yu stood when Kanji hung up, and pocketed the phone, glancing to his friend. She sat up straight, gripping her skirt tightly. “You going to be ok?”

Her hands started shaking. Suddenly, she jumped up, ran to the closet, and pulled out a light tan rain coat and rainboots. “I have to find her, Yu!” The winter-wear went on swiftly. “She's out there in that storm, and if she's like Teddie, then she's stuck as a dog demon again. What if she's sick like us, or worse? What if she's injured? She's never been sick as an animal demon. This whole experience scares her enough as it is.”

He rested his hand gently against her face. “Take a deep breath. We'll find her. And Yosuke.”

She nodded, trying to calm her racing heart, and rested her hand over his. Only two other people in the universe knew how she felt. One of them was here, and she was grateful to not be alone. “I know of a few fields near her house. Part of what I keep seeing looks familiar –a house with a blue roof a few blocks from the dojo. I...I think I can find her. I've found her before.” 

“Do you remember what you did?”

“I took a different path by the hot springs without thinking, because it felt right. That's where I found her. She can't swim and almost drowned.”

“Then focus on her and do that again,” He kept his voice soft, though with urgency. “Let's go.”

The two left the inn straight into the downpour. Someone needed to fire that weatherman. 

* * * *  
_As soon as Kanji hung up the phone..._

He snagged the old, black town bike from the garage and peddled hard down the street toward the flood plain. Rainstorm be damned. The bicycle's wheels cut through the puddles, spraying water out in slim waves. Kanji pushed hard around cars, ran stop signs and red lights, and cut sharp corners dangerously enough to skid when he squeezed the trigger breaks. He had to stop three times when the wash of nausea swept through him carrying the image of the flood plain. The water level in that image had risen, and the view shifted to rock. A tiny hand tried to grip a stone, and failed. She was weak, yet trying to climb up the bank. 

“Dammit,” he cursed. He forced power into his legs, and sped down the road. There were four sets of stairs that he knew of, so he had to check each one on both sides of the riverbank. 

The Samegawa river rushed by to his right, swollen from the two large, surprise cloud bursts. If the rain continued, he knew from a lifetime of experience that it would cover the stairs. It rarely ever reached the street. 

An oncoming car honked at him to get out of the way. Kanji jerked the bike to the grassy side. 

“Whoa! Jeeze!” Adachi spun the wheel, swerving. His tires screeched against the wet pavement. “Stupid kid!”

“Watch it, ya douchbag!” Kanji yelled. He let it fall, ditching the ride in a run. That ugly car didn't matter. Finding his cat demon did. “Naoto!” He swiped rain from his face and squinted to see. The edge of the storm lingered overhead, signaling it would be over soon. “Naoto!”

The small cat demon's ears twitched slightly beneath her cap as she blinked, soaking wet and shivering. She'd tightened into a ball on top of a rock surrounded by water. It was too close to her for comfort, but she didn't have the strength to jump to the next rock. The river waters created a perfect trap. Every motion sent shock through her soar muscles and pounding head. “Kanji,” she mewed softly, curling her tail around her as the raging water continued to rise. 

The rain finally let up. 

He spotted her tiny form balled up on a rock with the water licking at her toes. “Naoto!” He skid down the riverbank, plunged into the water, and sloshed over. So what if he got his clothes wet? If she didn't move, she'd be swept away. The current pulled at his legs with its own threat to carry him downstream. No one in their right mind would enter the river during a powerful pocket storm. Flashfloods were too often a reality.

She coughed within a shiver when he picked her up. Thank God she was away from that awful, hellish liquid. 

Kanji pulled himself from the water and knelt on the grass safely away from the currents. He was feeling better, but that did nothing to quell his nerves. “Hey. I got ya. You're gonna be ok.” He removed her hat and rested his palm over her flat ears. The heat radiating from her skin made him cringe –it felt like he'd held his palm near a warming iron. Yet, she was shivering. 

He laid her gently on the grass to remove his jacket and spread it out next to her. Her arm flopped to the side, though she tried to hold back another cough, and didn't fight when he placed her in the warm article of clothing. Being leather, the jacket had repelled the rain, keeping the smooth lining dry. 

He bundled her up. “Why would you go to the river? You hate water.”

She mewed a response, trying to tell him it was the closet hiding place she could get to when the fever hit, because it stole her transformation skill. She couldn't risk being seen by anyone in her native form. Then she buried her face in his jacket. She would be alright now if she could stay here and sleep. Whatever it was that had stolen all of her strength was new, terrifying, and she hated it.

“I can't understand you,” he grumbled under his breath. The bond between them hadn't reached the level of language comprehension. 

He sent Yu a text. [Found Naoto. She's bad off.] 

Naoto whimpered when he lifted her and carried her in the bundle of jacket back to the bicycle. He set the bike upright with one hand, keeping her pinned to him with the other, and started to walk back toward his house. He could have placed her in the basket to make it easier to move, but didn't feel like he should let her go. If he just knew what to do for an animal demon, knew how to bring her fever down without harming her with Human drugs, or animal medication, he'd do it. He cursed under his breath. 

Kanji leaned the bike frame against his leg when a text came back from Yu. He read it, changed direction to cross the bridge connecting the north and south ends of town, and grit his teeth in determination. They would figure this out together. 

* * * *  
_At the same time as Kanji's mad search for Naoto..._

Despite their illnesses, Yu and Yukiko hurried through the puddle-marred streets until they reached a crossroads. He helped to steady her when she lost her balance from dizziness. “Thank you,” she shuddered a breath past nausea. “I'm feeling worse. Does this mean she's getting worse?”

He swallowed back his own, though wouldn't let her see that he was feeling horrible right along with her. Right now, he understood her strength came from him. “Call me if you find her, or if you don't. Just call me.”

She nodded, and held onto him for a moment longer. She needed the comfort in his touch to give her power to search on her own. “Good luck.”  
The two split up. 

* * * *  
_The road to Chie's..._

The Satonaka Dojo rested near the eastern end of town about a half mile south from the Amagi Inn. Some of the buildings in that area—and some scattered throughout town—retained their original, traditional appearance. Though Yukiko had walked that countless times in her life for countless reasons, she'd never been more aware of the distance until now. Each minute ached as it ticked by. She wasn't much of an athlete, but she willed herself to run through the illness weakening her muscles, and the image of the fence post blinding her vision in brief, powerful flashes. 

She pushed open the ancient, wooden gate of the dojo, hurried through the small courtyard housing a well as old as Inaba, and up the steps to the front door. An overhang wrapped partially around the house to protect the porch and offer a welcoming reprieve from the rain. She allowed herself a brief moment to catch her breath before rapping her fingers against the door. Still, her words came out at emotional intense barbs thrown to the one who answered the door.

Mr. Satonaka stared perplexed at the dripping wet girl on his porch. It was unlike her to be out in the rain without an umbrella. "Yukiko? Got caught in the storm, huh? Come inside and dry off—"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Satonaka, I'm in a hurry. Do you know where Chie went this morning?"

He blinked in curious concern. "She went for a run."

"Please, sir. I have to... find her..." She braced against a support pillar from a wave of nausea and another image flash of the fence post, then to her feet as she—no, Chie—tried to walk. She saw the blue roof'ed building across the street, and two yellow eyes staring at her through the bushes. Whatever it was stared with desire to hunt.

The situation suddenly became more dire.

"Are you sick?" He helped to steady her. 

"Which direction did she go?"

"To the right. When she didn't come home, I assumed she'd gone to the inn." The last of his sentence met with air. "Hey, wait a minute!"

"Thank you!" Yukiko called back. 

The moment of rest had given her a second wind despite her increasing need to lie down. She could see the edge of the storm close, knew it would end soon, but that didn't calm her at all. She reached the rice field, turned right, and paused to catch her breath. The dizziness caught up to her, pulling at her control. She shook her head vigorously. No! She had to find Chie! 

The road of fields stretched out in a never ending strip of raised pavement. The need to keep moving straight ahead overpowered any despair on the daunting nature of her task. 

The image took control of her sight again. This time, the blue roof'd building took center frame behind the fest post. That building wasn't too far away. There was hope she could get there in time. She saw the yellow-eyed creature stalk from the bushes. She gasped. "Chie!" Yukiko raced down the street. "Chie!" 

The blue roof came into sight, though it might as well be a mile away. She grit her teeth, pushing herself to her limits. If she didn't get there in time, that other animal would attack. Her friend was in no shape to move, let alone defend herself. Her heart thundered in fear. _Please_ , she thought as she picked up a branch from one of the few trees lining the road, _Please, please, please!_

Chie used the fence post to pull herself up to face her nemesis. Its lips curled back in a feral snarl. She growled in return, though it was weak, and interrupted by a cough. Her body ached all over, any concentration she had failed, and her vision kept splitting. She couldn't let herself collapse.

She'd never known how bad-mouthed larger dogs could be. Sure, Muku had an attitude, and they would fight, but there was a mutual love and understanding there. It was a new world she'd been thrown into. Muku helped her survive as a dog demon more than she could have guessed. Her transformation into a dog demon gave her the ability to register sounds as a type of language, but apparently this dog didn't care that she was above him in a pack rank. 

This dog smelled weakness, so it used her infirmity as a chance to slam its supremacy on another k-9 in his territory. Its brash confidence increased when the illness forced Chie back to her 14" height. She was now the size of a small, skinny cat in a tank top and shorts, and thus deamed easy prey.

In her current state, he was horrifyingly right. 

“Chie!”

Chie's ears twitched to the sound of Yukiko's voice, and rubber rain boots slapping against the pavement. The sense that followed lifted her spirits. She'd wanted nothing more in this whole day than to kick this dog's butt, go to Yukiko, and take a very long nap. She wanted to curl up and die. 

“Get away from her!” Yukiko hold the branch out in both hands. Her knees shook from the shared illness with her yokai, and fear. 

The dog noticed the newcomer. It's ears flatted, and it hunched down. 

A soft 'yip' of terror caught in Chie's throat. She tried to yell at the dog to leave her best friend alone, but it ignored the tiny retriever dog demon and kept its focus on the other girl. Chie crawled to the street. "Yukiko..." 

Yukiko faced down the angry animal. She had never tried to fight off a stray. They were surrounded by fields and a couple of houses, so her escape plan was limited. She would have to fight to protect her animal demon—her best friend. 

The dog charged. 

Yukiko swing the branch at it repeatedly. “Get away! Get away!” 

The dog bit the branch, whipping its head from side to side to pull it from her hand. 

The force of it knocked her back. 

Chie staggered to put herself between her best friend at the new threat. 

“Chie?” 

Chie's ears pulled back as she crouched down to bear her teeth, trying to look as intimidating as possible. She'd had enough of this bastard. No matter what happened, she would guard her friend, even if it meant fighting an animal four times her size. There were only so many ways one could tell someone to stay the hell away or face her wrath. Challenging her for Alpha position was one thing. But no one threatened her best friend. 

No one. 

Chie called on every last bit of strength in her spirit, screamed, and kicked at the air. A cone of ice formed midway between them, pierced the ground, and crystallized into a sphere around her enemy when it leaped to attack. She dropped to her hands and knees, panting and dizzy, but rammed her right palm against the ground. Her command collided with the ice sphere. It shattered. 

The dog's howl of pain and defeat followed it into the rice paddy. 

'Who's top dog now?' she tried to say. Chie exhaled in victory. Yukiko was safe. That was all that mattered. Thank god she'd been able to call that much energy to use her Bufu skill. 

The rain had finally stopped. 

The illness pounded through her tiny body, drawing out a whimper of pain as she curled over to her side on the ground. 

Stunned, Yukiko lifted the small dog demon into her lap. “You saved me.” She bit her lip, worried by her friend's shallow breathing. A piece of that ice might as well have gone into her heart. “Please look at me. Chie...” Adrenaline pumped through her veins. Her friend had risked her life for hers, and won, but at what cost? 

Chie cracked open her eyes, and curled up tightly on her lap. That energy expenditure had taken everything out of her. 

Yukiko placed the back of her hand gently against the small dog demon's head. Wet hair slicked over her floppy ears. “Oh Chie, stay awake.” She pulled the phone from her pocket and sent at text to Yu. [Found Chie. She has a fever. I'm scared.]

Her phone beeped in a response after a few minutes. 

Yukiko held her close within her rain coat in order to warm up her shivering friend, and made her way across town to the southern residential area. 

* * * *  
_At the same time as Kanji's mad search for Naoto, and Yukiko's race to save her friend... ___

__Yu immediately started to retrace Yosuke's usual route to Junes. His head hurt, but he forced himself to focus on each flash to gain anything new about the location. The city was filled with cherry trees, and somewhere at the base of one of them was his fox demon. He ran across a street, causing a car to slam on its breaks._ _

__“Hey!” Adachi stuck his head out the drivers side window. “Watch where you're going!”_ _

__He wanted to yell back an apology, but that seemed futile and meaningless in light of the pressing danger._ _

__“That's two. What the hell is with people today? Sheesh. F-ing moronic kids,” Adachi cursed as he drove to the station._ _

__Yu skid to a halt near some homes, planting his hand against his head from dizziness, and steadied himself against a telephone pole._ _

__The rain ended abruptly a couple of minutes later, as per the usual timing of a pocket storm._ _

__He saw the tree again, looking up into its branches dripping from fresh rainfall. He shut his eyes to hold the image. It's clarity improved, and the point of view even shifted like he was turning his head. He saw the dark, thick trunk of the tree, the grass, his left hand –no, Yosuke's hand—gripping the mud, and beyond the tree, a familiar building._ _

__“The park.” How could he not know? He was just there! That gazebo was on the complete other side from where he'd been an hour and a half before._ _

__The park was huge, boasting a large number of trees, a couple of picnic shelters, and many of them with a view of the gazebo. He ran up the hill and started looking at the base of every tree. “Come on, little guy, where are you? Yosuke! Yosuke!” The little fox demon had never been sick before. If he had caught something in this world he wasn't immune to, it could be disastrous for all four demons. Yosuke had been out here all day alone, bombarded unprotected by the pocket storms, trapped in a puddle, unable to get home, and steadily getting worse. “Yosuke!”_ _

__Yosuke opened his eyes to the sideways world. His space at the tree had turned into a pool nearly up to his neck. Any dirt he grabbed turned to mud. A warm voice called his name. Maybe he was starting to have auditory hallucinations. His body felt heavy, and he'd been trying to hold back a cough, which failed. It aggravated every sore muscle and his pounding headache. “Yu.” He pushed himself up despite the dizziness, double vision, and nausea, and forced himself to move over the root of his cherry tree shelter toward his friend's voice, leaving globs of thick mud behind. He'd already thrown up twice, and it sapped his strength to even move his feet. His steps mirrored a lazy drunken stagger as he pushed through each motion. Simply staying on his feet labored his breathing and took most of his concentration. He had to reach Yu. He dropped to his knees, grit his teeth, and stood once more to keep moving. He groaned, but smiled at the sight of the silver haired youth._ _

__Everything would be all right now. Everything would be fine. His tiny hand reached out. “Yu...”_ _

__Yu froze as he saw the flash again, only this time it was of his back at a distance. He spun in time to see the little fox-boy drop to the grass. “Yosuke!” He ran across the expanse and knelt down to check for a fever, though he had to wipe away mud with his shirt before doing so. He placed one finger against the fox's forehead. The deja vous of yesterday didn't escape him in the least. Akane's illness seemed to be preparation for this. “You're burning up.” Yu wrapped him up in his dark gray and teal jacket, which the little fox curled into, despite it being wet and now covered in mud. He sent a quick text to Yukiko and Kanji. [Found Yosuke.]_ _

__Yu pocketed the phone and scooped up his animal demon. The fox's breath was shallow and uneven, and that clenched a ball of worry in Yu's core. “You're going to be ok, little guy. I'm going to get help.” His own sickness was receding, which only proved to solidify Rise's idea that the bond was the cause. With his strength returning, Yu ran from the park with wings on his heels. He needed to find help quickly._ _

__Yosuke coughed and shivered, pulling the jacket tighter around himself. It was still warm. He'd been fine when he'd left home that morning. Whatever this was had hit him on the way to Junes so quickly, it forced him to lose control of the change skill. Thankfully, he'd managed to get off the road and out of sight before that happened, and retained enough focus to change his clothing with him._ _

__Now that the pocket storm was over, the residents of Inaba returned to their outside duties. Yu ran through town, ignoring shocked looks from people as he passed. He didn't care what they saw, or what they said. Their judgments were irrelevant. He glanced down to the bundle of fox.  
Yosuke's ears lay flat as he pressed his cheek against his shirt. _ _

__“Hold on, little guy,” he said. “We're almost there.”_ _

__His flight took him through the city to the first place of salvation he could think of._ _

__He stopped in front of the doors to the hospital, and glanced down at Yosuke's muddy rust-colored ears and tail sticking out from his jacket. He started forward, though froze._ _

__The hospital would freak out if they saw a tiny Human-fox creature. They'd call in the police, or the feds, or some other science-type officials and they'd likely take him away. No one had seen this kind of being before beyond media depictions of mischievous yokai and various demons, ghosts and spirits. He'd have to tell them where Yosuke came from, that the Midnight Channel was real, and that would mean betraying his friends. He'd be labeled ill of mind, the fox would be taken away, and everything would be destroyed._ _

__He ran down to the next block and over two buildings. There, he paused again and cast a hopeful gaze to his right where a veterinary clinic welcomed its caring lights to injured animals of all—or most kinds. Again, he moved forward, but stopped. Sadly, he feared he'd face a similar situation here as with the Human clinic. Yosuke wasn't an animal, or a Human._ _

__These two beacons of hope were his only choices._ _

__And he could use neither one._ _

__He stepped back. He was out of ideas. What the hell was he going to do?_ _

__“Hey,” a passerby – Kou Ichijo called out. “Whatchya got there? A puppy?”_ _

__“Do you need help, boy?” An old woman in a black dress asked._ _

__“Wait...is that a kid?” another guy chimed in._ _

__“It looks like a fox,” his friend added. A chorus of comments joined them._ _

__“It's so small.”_ _

__“That kid has fox ears.”_ _

__“Is that a tail?”_ _

__“What is that?”_ _

__“Hey, show us what you've got.”_ _

__Yu's head whipped toward each voice. His heart quickened its pace at every utterance and pointing finger. He tightened his hold protectively, as if the voices themselves were hands reaching greedy, gnarled fingers to tear the fox away. Reacting first, he abandoned the clinics, turned and ran toward the Tatsuhime shrine. He had to get away from prying public eyes before his fear could be realized, even if it meant leaving the only source of help in Inaba behind; even if it meant figuring this out on his own._ _

__Taking Akane to the hospital for her light fever was a simple task, so he hadn't been very worried –she was a Human child, after all, and would receive the best care. But Yosuke, Naoto, Chie, and Teddie weren't supposed to exist. What do you do for something that isn't supposed to exist?_ _

__He dialed the nurse's number and held the phone to his ear as he ran._ _

__“Sayoko here.”_ _

__“Please, I need your help!”_ _

__“Oh, I didn't think you'd call,” she purred. “Ready for that date after all—“_ _

__“He's running a fever. What do I do?” His frantic question sliced her flirtation._ _

__“Huh? What happened? Who is it?”_ _

__“A kid... a young... kid. … My... my,” his silver eyes flicked down to the yokai, “my little brother.”_ _

__“Oh, well, if he has a fever, get some children's medication, keep him cool, and make sure he eats. If his temperature goes over a hundred, bring him into the hospital. Where are you?”_ _

__Just by touching the fox, he knew it was over the warning limit. He couldn't bring the fox in. A lump of dread dropped into his stomach—he was screwed. “Ok. I'll try that,” he lied, keeping his voice calm. “Thanks,” and hung up._ _

__The little fox's body spasmed from another cough, and he whimpered. He felt the other's arms tighten around him, though could find little solace in the action. The rapid beat of his Human's heart kept him from relaxing. It worried him. Yu's face may have remained straight, but inside he was panicking._ _

__He reached the shrine and leaned against one of the tall pedestal tōrō —the stone decorative lanterns— to catch his breath. Another tactic needed to come into play. He had to think of something fast. The flu killed people ever year. He had no way to know what it would do to a young yokai, or if this was supernatural, or if there was even anything he could do. There had to be something he could try! What if this was fatal?! This may be a race against time! It—_ _

__A small point of pressure over his shirt silenced his frantic train of thought. He glanced down to find the fox-demon had pressed his hand against his chest, though he hadn't moved in any other way._ _

__“Calm...,” Yosuke breathed each word in a whisper, “...down...” He let his hand remain until he was sure his Human got the message. “...Partner.”_ _

__This was the first time he'd felt this effect go the other way. Normally, he was the one to keep the fox in check from overreacting, flying off the handle, or doing what he himself was doing now; panicking. Yosuke was consciously using their bond to enact the same roll on him, and it was working. He didn't know that was even possible._ _

__Yet, the fox was right. He had to calm down, and clear his mind. Slowly, he inhaled, and evenly let it out in a meditation, accepting the aid. Human healers wouldn't work in this case..._ _

__...But a healer from the TV world might. And he knew exactly which raccoon to visit._ _

__The problem with that was that the animal demons tended to lay low due to the Shadows. He'd have to make his presence known, which would attract the animal demons' attention, but also that of their enemy._ _

__Yukiko's text came through first. [Found Chie. She's got a fever. I'm scared.]_ _

__Kanji's was next. [Found Naoto. She's bad off.]_ _

__He quickly sent a text to his three friends, keeping Rise in the loop. [Meet me at my uncle's. I've got an idea.]_ _

__At least now he had some kind of plan, even though it mimicked a shot in the dark. He pocketed the phone and rubbed his fingers over the tiny fox's ears in comfort. “Stay with me, little guy. I'm taking you home.”_ _

__Home sounded absolutely fantastic. Yosuke blinked up at the face of his Human, and finally let his hand fall away. He'd have to tell Chie that his idea to calm down his Human actually worked. She couldn't tease him now._ _

__Yu sprinted through the shortcut to the Dojima home as fast as he could, twisting nimbly through trees, and taking each step down the hill with swift agility. Nanako's medicine might buy them some time. It was meant for children, so a lower dosage may work for animal demons._ _

__It was speculation at best, but it was the only option he had._ _


	31. 31st Scent: A Race Against Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team goes to the Shadow World to get help from the animal demons to obtain a cure for their illness. Yukiko discovers her Persona's ability, as does Rise, and a new, very dangerous threat is stalking the broken streets.

31st SCENT: A RACE AGAINST TIME

_That evening..._

“What's wrong with them?” Yukiko gently laid a tired, but dry Chie on a futon on the floor of Yu's room with the other three animal demons. They'd all been given baths, and clean clothes from the small wardrobe stash Yu kept in the bottom dresser drawer in his room in case of emergencies. 

Yu screwed the cap back into place on the medicine bottle. “I wish I knew. But I thought Nanako's medicine might help.” He leaned back on his heels. “Or at least buy us some time.”

Kanji came in with small strips of cloth wrapped around crunched up ice and placed each home made ice pack on their foreheads. He let his hand linger near Naoto, a little shocked that she reached out for it. He closed his fingers lightly over hers. Only a week passed by that he'd known he was connected to an animal demon, but accepting her came more easily than accepting fallacies in himself. “It's like they've all got the flu, and bad. What could hit them and not us? And how did they know to kick our asses with this so we could find them?”

“It could be something that just happened because they were in real danger,” Yukiko offered. “Maybe they don't even know they were doing it.”

“Kinda makes you wonder what else they can do,” Kanji mused. 

Rise looked to her friends, wishing in part that she knew what the three were going through, but at the same time happy she'd been removed from that. Still, she'd found the little bear demon so ill in her bathtub that he couldn't move, and she'd suffered just the same in not knowing what to do. Her concern for the bear boy was genuine. Much as she avoided admitting it, that little blond-haired annoying thing was growing on her. She straightened the blanket over the four smallest of their group. “They look like they're resting easier now.” She stood. “I'm going to make us some tea. We went through a lot, too.” Her footsteps faded as she moved down the stairs. 

“If we're not in good enough shape to go to that other world, we can't help them at all,” Kanji stood. “I'm gonna make some food or somethin.' Got any ramen?

“In the cupboard. There's frozen veggies in the freezer, and eggs in the fridge. Leave the thing on the plate alone. I have no idea what that is.” Yu volunteered.

Kanji nodded. “Got it. Steering clear of Mystery Food X.”

“I'll help,” Yukiko drew her hand down Chie's ear once more before she left the dog demon to nap. They were safe for now, though she still didn't want to leave her alone. 

Yu looked after his friends, then to the small animal demons under the blanket. He agreed that they should eat something, rest up, and then take the trip through the t.v. The debate of whether to bring them or leave them here weighed heavy in his mind. He smoothed down the fox's ears for a moment in a silent message to 'hang in there,' then moved around them to face the television. He stared at his reflection in the blank glass. 

A few weeks had passed since they were in that world to rescue Yukiko. There was no way to know if he still had the ability to cross the boundary or not without trying it out first. He raised his hand, palm out, to the screen, but paused. He knew entering that place would put his life and that of his friends' at risk, but they had no other choice. That place scared him, no matter the power he could wield there, though it wasn't just in fear of his own self preservation. He didn't know what he would do if anything happened to his friends. They were his family. He didn't want to lose them.   
Yu placed his fingertips against the cool surface and pressed forward. 

The glass rippled in acceptance, engulfing his arm up just past his wrist. 

“Yu?”

He pulled his hand away at the small voice. The t.v's surface calmed back to normality. 

Yosuke sat up, panting from the exertion. “You're not.... gonna go... back. ...Are you?” 

“I'm going to get help.”

“Too..... dangerous....”

He conceded to the truth in that, but didn't voice it.

The other's pause made him realize Yu was coming up with an excuse, and he didn't want to hear any. “'You're...my Human. Can't... let you... go alone.” He tried to stand. “I'll go...too...”

“No, you stay here. Try to rest.” 

“But, I gotta...,” Yosuke flopped back down. “guard ...hope...in any situation.” his voice dropped to a whisper. The little fox watched him in his sideways view, hardly able to lift his head off the futon. 

Yu arched an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Don't,” his words escaped in weary puffs, “wanna... be... alone.” 

“You're not alone.”

Yosuke's whisper could barely be heard. “Not me. You.” Enough silence passed that he had forgotten what he'd initially woken up for. “My tail wants know if we're home,” he mumbled.

“Your tail?” Yu blinked. That was an odd thing to say. Of course, the little guy was running a pretty high fever. What else could he do but answer. “Yeah. We're home.”

“Ok, cool,” He scooted over rest his head against Naoto's back, and curled up in the giant blanket. 

Yu watched the little cat roll over so she and the fox were now forehead to forehead, and both were sound asleep. Were it not for the fact that those two came from that other world together in the same box, he would have found the action a little odd. It made sense that they would seek comfort in the familiarity of each others company. They weren't bothering to keep up Human tendencies anymore, and he couldn't blame them for being their true selves. Were he in that situation, he would abandon all false pretenses, too.

He knelt once more and rubbed his thumb gently over the fox's ears. “I promise I'll find a way to make you better,” he whispered. He let his hand linger over the other's soft ears. “Don't worry, little guy. I will come back. You have my word. I won't lose you.”

They needed to rest, and for now they were safe and secure. Yu stood and left the room. 

Naoto cracked her eye open to look past the fox to his Human during the soft exchange. When Yu left, she mewed softly and curled up closer to her friend. He was out, so she was sure he hadn't heard that. She wondered if Yosuke knew just how important he was to Yu Narukami. If not, then he was a true Idiot. 

* * * *  
He met up with the others downstairs and pulled out a chair from the table to sit. Kanji kept a watchful eye on everything Yukiko did, and the house soon filled with the delicious aromas of a home cooked meal. His uncle had said he was working late, so it would be just them and Nanako for dinner. 

Nanako... He glanced to the little girl sitting cross-legged in front of the t.v. They'd come home just before her, so she wasn't aware of the sick yokai upstairs. He didn't want her to go near them in fear that she would catch whatever they had –if it was transmutable to Humans. It wasn't a risk he was willing to take. He also needed to tell Mrs. Hanamura everything. She'd likely demand that Yosuke be returned to her house. He knew that was the right thing to do, but he didn't want to be separated from the fox. It wasn't for companionship, but for necessity. 

They ate dinner peppered with brief moments of conversation. 

Nanako kept looking to each of them, then to her plate.

Yu knew she could tell there was tension in the air, and he'd wanted to explain why to her many times, but ultimately didn't speak. She also didn't ask. 

“I've got homework.” She finally broke the silence and hugged him and went upstairs to her room. “I'll clean up later. 

“We'll take care of that. Do you need help with homework?” He offered. 

“No thanks. I'm ok.” 

Yu got up to call Mrs. Hanamura outside and explained that Yosuke was sick. He could hear her scratching down notes on the other end, and answered when she asked for details of how he knew, how he found the little fox, and what he went through. Her deep-delving questions were nothing new by now. He knew not to leave anything out, no matter how insignificant, because it may be helpful in the future to himself, his friends, or someone else. However, he left the t.v. world out of it. To his shock, she agreed that the fox should remain with him during this period. She had a theory that the yokai youth could be unconsciously using him as a form of support, and if that's what was keeping him going, then he shouldn't be removed from it. The same went for his friends. 

They cleaned up, then sat around the table in front of the t.v. with coffee for those who wanted it, and tea for the others. 

“So, this idea of yours,” Kanji spoke up first, with his back to the closed curtains covering the back door. “It's the only one we got, right?”

“Unless anyone else can think of something.”

They were quiet. Yukiko glanced to her hands, and Rise leaned on the table. 

“I can still put my arm through the t.v., so we can leave at any time.” Yu said.

Kanji and Yukiko nodded. 

Yukiko picked up her tea cup just to hold something to keep her hands from shaking. She knew it had to be done to save Chie, but that world still gave her the creeps. “We can use the big one at Junes.” 

Yu nodded. 

“What about them? We're just leavin' 'em here?” Kanji finally put down the question no one could answer alone. 

“If we take them, they could get the other animal demons sick.” Yukiko said. “They'll be safe in your house, right Yu?”

“Considering we shouldn't move them, yeah.” He sipped at the coffee. “I talked to Mrs. Hanamura. She thinks they might be using us as a form of aid to help with what they can't do alone.”

Kanji set down his mug. “They're using us as batteries? I don't feel any different.”

“It could be so small an amount, that we don't notice.” Yukiko sipped from her tea. 

“Yet,” Yu added. “She also has a theory that if they get worse, we will notice, and it'll start affecting us, too. It's better if we go back as soon as possible to get a cure.”

“Ok.” the blond took a long drink of coffee, as if to amp himself up. “We'll grab some food, first aid, and head ou--”

“You're forgetting something.” Rise sat up. She rolled her eyes at his blank stare. “You're forgetting me! I got stuck in that world, too. You're not leaving me behind.”

“We need someone on babysitting duty,” Kanji said. “You're not bound to any of them, so the best person for the job is you.”

“And how are you going to find that raccoon you're looking for? Plus if anything happens to you guys, won't they suffer? I can help.” She took a deep breath. The only person she'd told of her new abilities before was Naoto. “That card I got did something to me. I can find people, and I can see things about them, small things. I could never do that before, but now... that's how Naoto and I found Mitsuo at the festival, and how I knew there was something different--”she paused, looking at Yu, “-- about you. You had the same sense as an animal demon for about a week.”

He blinked, surprised at the sudden truth. That's why she'd asked after the hot springs. So, his idea that the card altered her, too, was valid. 

“Face it,” she locked them all in her gaze. “You need me.”

She had a point the others couldn't dismiss. 

Yukiko exhaled. “So, what are we going to do about them? If what they have could be transferred to Humans, then Rise would have become sick by now. So, maybe it's only passable between animal demons. Someone has to stay here to watch out for them.”

“I can do it.”

They all turned at the small voice behind them. 

Nanako stood at the base of the steps in her pink bunny pajamas. She stepped into the room. “I can watch them until you get back from the doctor.” 

“Nanako, no. Stay out of my room.” Yu stood to meet her. “I don't want you getting sick.”

“But I already got my flu shot this year. It hurt, but that's means I'll be ok,” Nanako looked up at her taller cousin, holding her ground. 

“Nanako--” Yu began.

“Let her try,” Rise moved over to kneel down next to the little girl, focused on her for a quick moment, then smiled. “I think she'll be fine.” She hoped her ability to see that Nanako wasn't affected would translated through her eyes without giving anything away to the little girl. 

Nanako wouldn't let this go. “You stayed with me when I was sick, so I gotta stay with him while he's sick. Yosuke is part of our family, too. And the cat and Chie are friends. You're gonna help him, and I wanna help, too. Mommy woulda stayed.”

How was he supposed to argue against that? Yu sighed in acquiesce. He'd lost this round. He ruffled her hair. “Ok. If you think you can do it, then I should believe in you.”

She bounced on the balls of her feet. “I'll be the best nurse ever, big bro!”

He smiled lightly, and assured himself he'd made the right decision. The longer he lived here, the more he could see how responsible she was, but that only made him more protective of her. It saddened him that she had to be this grown up, but right now he was relieved that he could count on her. After all, she had voiced her thoughts about Yosuke being like a little brother when he'd first brought the fox home, so why not let her be a big sister?

Nanako ran up to his room to sit with the demons and watch t.v. there while Yu removed a single item from the closet. “We'll be back as soon as we can.”

She gave him a thumbs up and a smile.

He needed that.

Yu emerged from upstairs with a determined look, and carrying a long, thin bag secured by a fold and a tie across the top. He slung it across his shoulder. “Let's go.” 

Yukiko, Kanji, and Rise followed him outside and down the road to Junes. 

* * * *  
 _Through the portal..._

The TV world’s red sky filtered through the ever-present thick miasma in its usual loathsome charm. Eight body outlines littered the large, wide spiral beneath their feet, melting over a yellow concrete floor. Yu recognized it as the place they'd originally fallen in to. This was his third time in this world, but that first trip seemed like a lifetime ago, and he'd been a different person. The last time he'd run through the cracked, wicked streets of Magatsu Inaba, he'd been able to see without much trouble. His link to the fox demon was responsible for improving his vision in the fog. For some reason, he was having problems now. The fog seemed even thicker than before. 

Kanji and Yukiko slipped on the glasses Teddie had given them on their last visits here. 

"Ok, Pigtails," kanji kept his guard up in case any of the howling shadows in the distance decided to lurk a little closer. He eyed Rise. "You wanted to come along so bad, now here's your chance. Can you pick up anything?"

Rise bit her lip and cringed. This place made her nervous. The last time she was here, she'd been the victim of a kidnapping, and endured consistent bombardment of her dark side by her Shadow. That woman was really a bitch. The fact that that monster still existed in her heart disturbed her, but she'd accepted it. 

The heavy atmosphere laden with fear kept her from completely concentrating on her new ability. "I don't really..."

“It's ok," Yu kept his voice calm. "When you get a sense of something, just let us know." He started walking, leading the group.

Yukiko smiled slightly when the girl exhaled in defeat. "Don't worry about it. We believe in you."

“You—you do?” Rise's eyebrow rose in surprise. 

“Of course.” Yukiko assured her.

She smiled, now completely determined because of her friend's confidence. 

The group walked on through town, trying to remain quiet. 

“Dude, you have any idea where you're going?” Kanji asked.

“The school.” Yu answered shortly. 

“Why there?”

That was a good question, though how could he tell them it was due to a dream he'd had? He was pretty sure he'd made all of that up, but who's to say he was wrong, too. “Gut instinct. It's where we wound up last time, so it's a logical place to start.” Good save.

Rise stopped. She looked slowly around in awe as everything began to take on different levels of information circling it in blue and green reticules. It resembled transparent computer screens she'd seen in dozens of science fiction movies. She could hardly see through the fog, but part of her could simply tell. The blue card suddenly materialized, drifting languidly in the air. She reached out to grab hold of it with both hands. This was her power, a part of her that she could use, and it welcomed her. “Per...Per...” She took a deep breath to solidify her conviction and crushed the card. "Persona!"

Everyone looked back when a tall, lithe figure of a woman clothed in a long cream-colored maxi dress formed behind Rise. It leveled a visor in front of her face, and lifted its own to the sky. Though it wasn't a face. It was a satelite-esque visage with four sensor spears dotting the edge, and a long straight barb shooting through the Persona's head to touch the sky as a focal point, and numerous hexagonal plates mimicking that of a solar panel.

The fog disappeared completely. Rise could see everything, and everyone. She looked to each of them as information scrolled across her view and through her mind. "Wow....” She giggled. “That's much better."

"That's different'," Kanji craned his neck to look up at Rise's persona. 

"I knew something had changed when I faced my Shadow that day you all saved me. It's like everything I experience in our world is clarified times ten here. I can read so much now."

"Do you think you can find the animal demons?" Yu asked. He was impressed, but they had a mission to complete. 

"Let me check." She was silent, letting her Persona's head turn in all directions. "Himiko is picking up lots of odd dark activity." She shuddered. “It's creepy as hell.”

"Shadows," Yukiko whispered. 

Rise rubbed her arms from sudden goosebumps pimpling her skin. "They totally weird me out." Needing to focus on something else, she turned her attention to Yu. A barrage of details flew across her vision. "Whoa..." She drew the word out like stretching taffy.

He blinked curiously.

“This is so cool!”

Kanji snapped his fingers. “Focus, Rise. We all know you have a crush, but try to reel it in?”

She blushed furiously. “Kanji! Just... just shut up.” She shoved past him. How dare he call her out like that, especially in front of the 'crush' himself. “You're such an insensitive jerk.”

Yukiko clenched her fist near her heart, not really paying attention to her friend's rant. She remembered her shadow turning into that card, then it disappeared when she reached for it. It happened when she faced her shadow self, her repressed side, and accepted that aspect of her nature. Her eyes slid to Yu, following Rise's lead. He was the first to hold a card. Did he have to face his shadow, too? He never mentioned it if he did, yet how could he if the first time he'd been to this world was the same as the rest of them? If he didn't, how did he come to posses a Persona, let alone two? She'd witnessed him switch between Izanagi and Pyro Jack. Yu Narukami was truly a conundrum. 

Rise stopped. “Wait. There's something up ahead –no – a lot of somethings. And it's moving this way really fast!”

Not two seconds later, a cloud of red and black tongue monsters exploded from the fog. 

The group dodged to either side. 

Kanji ducked a fly by, and grabbed onto a discarded folding chair near the edge of Daidara's in the shopping district. He swung it like a bat at the nearest Shadow. “Eat this, ya freaks!” The chair's seat slammed into the shadow, sending it reeling through the air, and smashed into the wall. 

“Look out!” Rise cried.

Yu spun, dodged, and ran from a cluster of the shadows waggling their tongues like drunkards. All clamored to make him their next victim. “Izanagi!” He reached out to crush the blue card in his fist. That same familiar sense that always remained in the rear of his mind burst to life, carving a path through the attackers. The giant samurai Persona's yellow eyes narrowed at the approaching hoard through its expressionless mask –though Yu could feel the acceptance to duty, to protect, and destroy anything harming those he cared for. 

Rise stared, stunned. The information she gained from it through her own Persona –Himiko— let her know this power was the same he'd called upon at school the day Mr. Morooka used the new transfer student as a verbal punching bag. 

“Ah!” Yukiko screamed, dropping to her knees to avoid one of the shadows barreling over her. She got to her feet and hurried to meet up with Rise. More circled her, blocking her path. She stepped back as it shook its bulbous body, and shut her eyes as it dove right for her. 

A quick flash of movement, and the sing of steel against steel cut between her and the assailant. In less than two seconds, the Shadow lay cut cleanly in two at her feet. It evaporated soon after. Her breath caught around a shock that kept her momentarily speechless. She stared at the back of the one who'd saved her. A black cloth bag tucked into his belt at his back, and he'd tied the sheath of a sword at his left. “Yu?” 

He gripped the black-hilted katana in his right hand, ready for another attack. His Persona had been too busy fending off a group of four monsters to get to her in time. “Are you all right?”

She nodded. 

They both turned to face the last group of Shadows. Among the striated tongue creatures were black blobs bearing red masks and blue masks.   
Yu raised his weapon in ready below narrowed eyes. He remembered these things well from his nightmare. “Those are Maya.”

“What?” Kanji bashed the life out of a shadow. It dissolved at his feet. “How do you know?”

So what if he'd thought of the name in a nightmare? They needed to be called something, right? “You want to call them something else, that's fine by me.”

Izanagi's lightning bolt struck down the two closest, dazing the other four. 

Kanji hoisted the chair over his head and grinned. Now this was a fight he could get into. “Now's our chance for a beatdown!” He let out a battle cry and charged while Yu ran along side –silent, but focused. 

Yu handled the blade with skill as sharp as the metal itself. He didn't flinch as he slashed across the enemy, weaving through the shadows and slicing up their backs. Kanji's chair took out the last of his opponents, though Yu stared down the red mask of the last wounded Maya reaching its black hands toward him. It didn't look to fear its own death. It only wanted one thing: to become stronger, and then to destroy anything guarding hope and light. He knew how it would attempt to gain that power. But they only went after Animal Demons for that, not Humans. The idea of this thing hunting others of his friends' kind made his blood run hot with loathing disgust. 

It's existence ended a second later by the sword. It wouldn't ever get the chance to reach its goal. 

Yu exhaled lightly as he felt his Persona return and the drain on his energy lift. The masses it had taken on were defeated. They had won against an onslaught that would have destroyed them the last time they'd set foot on this dirty ground. 

Both boys shielded their eyes from a sudden rush of hot wind. A loud 'woosh!' of flames engulfed the last few shadows behind them, burning them to cinders. Ashes drifted away on the breeze. When they looked back to the girls, a black crescent bowed away from them across the street. They stared at a gracefully poised woman with pink feathered wings and a bird-like mask hovering in front of the two girls as their guard. Its intense gaze lightly when it recognized the two as friends. 

Rise pushed up Himiko's mask and let the Persona slip out of sight, back to her soul. “She did it. I mentioned they were weak against fire, and...”

“Theygottooclose,” Yukiko took a deep breath. 

“Nice,” Yu sheathed the blade as the girls stepped past the ring of dusted Shadows to meet them.

“What in the hell? She's got one, too?” The taller blond pointed the chair at his friends in emphasis.

Yukiko blushed as everyone set their attentions on her. “Konohana Sakuya. My Persona.” 

Her duty complete, the elegant persona folded its wings across its dancers figure, raised its face in victory to the sky, and shimmered out of sight. 

“How come you get a fire wielding Persona, and yet you can't cook to save your life?” Kanji eyed the ash pile. 

“Irony is truly amazing,” Yu joked. 

“You guys are horrible.” Yukiko folded her arms and trudged past the two. 

The others followed, though the boys gave their more graceful companion a little more distance. Her Persona's power had to come from somewhere in her heart, which warned the others that Yukiko could take a lot of stress, but could explode if pushed too far. They put mental notes on where her limit was, and made sure to never cross that line. 

* * * *  
They fought three more attacking clusters of Maya, and a small group of bronze die –which Yu was able to dispose of with Izanagi's help. However, Rise pointed them in the opposite direction, saying she was picking up the sense of a few animal demons. Taking her lead, they abandoned the school idea and put their trust in their friend. 

They'd had two more encounters by the time they neared the south end of town, so they were tired. Kanji passed out snacks to the group, and they ate while keeping an open eye on their surroundings. The wind whistled through the ghost town, carrying the morbid calls of Shadows on its back. 

“I know they're here. I can sense them.” Rise stopped at the middle of the bridge crossing to the south end of town. “So why don't they come out and show themselves already?” She whined. 

“They're watching us,” Kanji looked ahead of them through the fog. He cupped his hands around his mouth. “Hey!” He called into the void. “Furrballs! Stop hidin' and face us like you've got a pair!”

“You don't need to shout.” A tenor voice responded from just up ahead. “The Shadows will hear you.” A tall raccoon demon phased into view from the fog. He folded his arms as five other animal demons joined him. The shortest of them was the size of Nanako, and had a pair of white rabbit ears pointed slightly back. She bounced on the balls of its bare feet, ready for action. Her ears flopped with the motion.

The raccoon smirked. “You just don't know when to quit.”

Yu stepped forward. “We came here to find Rei.”

“Go home.” The raccoon frowned. “Your presence is drawing out more Shadows.”

“Bring 'em on,” Kanji leaned the folded chair against his leg and capped his left bicep.

Their greeter's round ears twitched, and his tail flicked “I don't like your face.”

“Yeah, well yours could use some adjusting.” Kanji took the chair in one hand, though didn't raise it. 

“Kanji, no fighting.” Yukiko rested her hand on his arm. “We need them to help us save the others. Remember Naoto.”

The heat of his anger settled. Naoto was counting on him to get her through this. Now that he'd gone a week knowing he had his own animal demon –and it was the detective prince to boot—he had to refocus. 

The Raccoon demon narrowed his eyes, keeping the silver-haired Human in his hateful sights. "You're bound to a fox. By proxy, I don't like you."

"Sorry to hear it." Yu returned with his own bland response.

“Don't you get it?” The raccoon marched up to them. “You and that fox, and your friends aren't welcome here.”

“Why do you hate them so much?” Rise asked. 

“As soon as the red stain hit, they disappeared, letting everyone else suffer. The foxes did this to our world.”

“Oh yeah?” Kanji snapped. “Where's your proof? What if they got sucked up into this like everyone else?”

Yu's eyes never left the black spheres of the other. “Whatever issues you have with fox demons, I'm asking you to put them aside. Our friends are sick, and we need Rei's help. Let us talk to him, get what we need, and then we'll leave.”

“Please,” Yukiko tried to sound as genuine as she could. “Teddie is ill, too.”

That got the attention of the other animal demons. “Teddie's in that other world?” One of the cat demons swished their tail excitedly in tune to a collective sense of relief from the group that their leader was alive. 

“We should help them, Shigeru,” The short bunny girl tugged at the raccoon's long sleeve. 

“Mina...”

“They can tell us what happened to Teddie.”

Rise bit back a squee. That bunny was one of the most adorable animal demons she'd ever seen. The girl's long blond hair swept to her ankles, though the strands were split by a fluffy cotton ball tail.

The Raccoon growled low at the Humans, then spoke. "All right.” He ruffled Mina's hair as he turned. “Only for her will I agree.” She meant too much to him. “Follow me. And be quiet,” He eyed Kanji like nothing would sate him more than pitching the tall Human and his chair over the bridge. “There's a powerful Shadow roaming this town that we should avoid at all costs.”

“How powerful are we talkin' here?” Kanji's question was directed at the leader of this small band of animal demons, but his eyes remained on the bunny. Those white ears must be velvety soft, like Naoto's. 

Shigeru sighed in annoyance. Part of him wanted to tell the Humans to face the new adversary, but the part that respected Teddie, and the need to protect innocents quickly quelled that urge. He simply answered. “One blow took out half the search party sent to find Teddie. One of the dog demons and a cat was wounded. The dog lost his identity, and within two weeks, lost his life. We've never seen a Shadow like this before in the valley, and no one knows where it came from. It shows up out of nowhere, attacks with deadly accuracy, then leaves. There isn't a yokai in this forsaken place brave enough to go looking for answers.” He continued walking on through a suburban district with broken homes lining the streets. “We only have one name for it.”

“What name is that?” Yu calmly spoke up. 

Shigeru glanced at their destination up ahead –the train station. The level of seriousness in his next words thrummed like a drum beat through all within earshot. 

“The Reaper.”


	32. 32nd Scent: Kurumi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team learns a very important detail about Teddie. Rei sends the Humans to retrieve a shard from the Reaper so he can create a cure from it. Yu binds himself to a dying cat demon, and understands how powerful that connection is even after a short time. The Hollow Infection is fatal, and they don't have much time left.

32nd SCENT: KURUMI

The animal demons moved around a lot, not that anyone could blame them for refusing to put down roots. If they stayed in one place for too long, the Shadows could organize an attack. The monsters weren't known for traveling in more than groups of six, and some were even smart enough to aid their comrades with healing spells, but there were so few animal yokai left in the valley that they didn't want to take the risk of being wrong. 

Shigeru directed them through the turnstile of the station to a train stranded at the platform. It's off-white, dirty cubes bore scorch-marks, broken windows, and seemed to be permanently seated to the ground. Their cabins would never board travelers off to work or bound for exciting vacations, and their heavy metal wheels would never glide along the tracks again. 

Mina bounced forward and pushed open the door. “In here.” She ushered the four Humans through and closed the door behind when the raccoon joined them. “He's in the next car.” She ran down the isle, pausing to jump on a few seats with child-like joy. Her ears flopped from the motions. Even with her bursts of giggles, she stayed ahead of them and opened the door to the next car. 

She seemed to find entertainment in the simplest things. Her demeanor reminded Yu a lot of Yosuke. Their personalities were very similar. 

“Rei!” Mina launched herself at the raccoon doctor's back. 

He turned in time to catch her and continued in the spin. “Back so soon?” He smiled as she hugged his neck, though it diminished slightly when he saw their guests. “Ah, I see.” The little girl-bunny wiggled out of his arms and went to bouncing on a seat. “Didn't think I'd see you again, but I should probably learn by now. How's your...situation?”

Yu knew exactly what he was talking about. “It resolved itself, though it was an interesting week.”

“Good, good. You all look tired. Have a seat and take a load off.”

Kanji lifted his chin in protest. “I think we'll stand, thanks—er—hey, you guys!” His tone changed completely when the two girls dropped heavily into seats facing each other. 

“My feet are starting to hurt,” Yukiko removed her shoes to rub her feet.

“Yeah,” Rise followed suit. “We've been at this for a while, Kanji. We need a break.”

He rolled his eyes. Grumping and overruled, he popped opened the chair he'd used as a weapon earlier and straddle it backwards.

“They claim Teddie is in their world.” Shigeru forced the topic back on track. “And that he's sick.”

“We don't claim anything. He's there, and he is very sick,” Rise corrected. 

"It's not just him," Yu added. "They've all come down with something serious."

Rei's brown ears twitched. "What are the symptoms?"

Yukiko volunteered on this one. "They have no strength, they can't keep anything down, they have stuffy noses, and a headache, and they lost control of their change skills." She couldn't hide her own concern for Chie. If this was on a time limit, every second they spent in this world could be disastrous for her friend. "What's wrong with them?"

"When did they start showing signs?" Rei grabbed a book from a stack on the floor and flipped through it as he spoke.

"This afternoon," Yu said. 

The raccoon doctor looked up briefly. "Where were they about a week ago?"

"Um, well," Yukiko began, "we were all together at the festival. Everyone was there, including Teddie—“

“He showed up the day before,” Rise interjected

“—but no one was sick at that time."

"And no Humans have been affected?" 

Yukiko shook her head. "Just us."

Kanji rested his elbows over the back of the chair. "We saw flashes of where they were when they got sick, and felt like a pile of crap until we'd found them. It was like they were trying to tell us something was wrong. I could see through Naoto's eyes. It was freakin' weird."

Rei closed the book and set it back on the stack. "Hm. That's new. As I told your friend, we've never seen the bond effect on Humans before. If Teddie brought something over, then it's only passable to other animal demons. Any that came in contact with him, or with a yokai who already had contact with him would likely be infected." He exhaled. "It's a good thing you chose to keep them in your world, or we'd all be...well, in your word... screwed.” 

“There's one more thing,” Yu spoke up to grab the raccoon's attention when he'd gone back to rustling around for another book. “Teddie can't remember who he is.”

Rei's ringed tail stilled, his ears perked forward, and he snapped back to attention. “...What?” His eyes widened and he stared at the young man's stoic face as if he'd just been told a bomb would drop on the town in the next ten seconds. Their problem just went to the top of his priorities list. “Shigeru.” His command cut cleanly though the group to the other raccoon. “Is she awake?”

“She was when I left this morning. That fox was checking up on her.” He chewed on the second sentence like working through a tough cut of overcooked steak.

Rei ignored the tone in the younger demon's voice. He'd already spoken to him strongly about accepting Ai Ebihara. There was no room in their tiny community to bear hatred for one another, but his words evaporated against the other's wall of stubbornness. No matter what she'd done for him—no matter that she'd saved his life after the red stain twisted the valley into its demented state, or that she'd managed to somehow keep his little sister, Mina, from turning into a shadow—he still hated fox demons. 

“Come with me.” The doctor lead the others past the archer, though had to pause as Mina squeezed through and bounded down the hall to the next car. She left the doors open to each car so the others could get through. 

Mina pulled open the door to the last car marked 'VIP' on a golden plaque above and jumped through. “Hi! I'm back!” In a pulse of energy, she let go of her change skill and landed on a slim bed built into the back of the car. The little bunny girl—now as tall as Naoto in her native form—nuzzled into the lap of the bed's occupant sitting cross-legged on the cushion. She butted her head into a welcomed ear rub and sprawled out on her stomach to enjoy the pet.

“Mina,” the girl pushed aside the paper she'd been drawing on to make room for the little animal demon. “Stupid bunny. You'll wrinkle them.” she chided, yet her voice wasn't cruel at all. 

Rei halted their guests before they could enter the room and explained that this cat demon hadn't been contagious for some reason. He'd taken the risk himself in order to treat her symptoms, and survived. Only he, Ai, Mina, and Shigeru were brave enough to enter her room. Everyone else feared her. 

He knocked on the door frame. 

The girl raised her brown eyes toward the window, ignoring the door, and pushed strands of her straight brown hair behind her ear. “Do you want to put me through another test? Because I don't feel like it today. I have a headache.”

“I wanted to talk to you about what you remember from the attack a week and a half ago.” 

She sighed. “The answers aren't going to change. I still can't remember anything.” 

“It's not for me. I need to confirm that what happened to you is happening to our leader.”

She lay back and curled up away from them. “Our leader. He disappeared shortly before I was attacked, right? Why should I care?” 

They waited through her silence. 

She pet Mina's ears, drawing her hand lethargically down her back and pulling comfort from the motion. “I saw Mako on the ground next to me when I woke up. He wasn't moving.” She only knew the name of the dog demon because the doctor had told her. “Everyone said that new deadly Shadow attacked us. There was a basket on the ground between us that once held oranges, because they were scattered all over the grass. I guess I'd gone out to pick them. I really like oranges, at least...I think I do.” She coughed. “Please get me some tea. I feel cold.”

Mina hopped down, grabbed a blanket, and draped it over her friend. “You'll get better. I know you will. Then we can go pick oranges together.”

They watched as her form shrank beneath the cloth until all they saw were two brown cat ears sticking out from under the blanket. Everything about her resembled Naoto's, Yosuke's, Chie's, and Teddie's illness. 

They let her be, closing the door behind them. Mina ran off to get the tea. The room weighed heavy with silence that crushed in on each of them. No one spoke for a good thirty seconds, though Yu heard the doctor utter a name under his breath in lament. 

“Poor thing. Her situation sucks, but that still doesn't help us,” Rise's soft voice was too loud in the quiet. “We still need a cure for our friends.”

“Actually, it does help us.” Their guide lead them back out of the stuffy train to the open foggy air. “Now that we know they were attacked by the same Shadow, there is hope for your friends,” he glanced back to the private VIP car. “But I'm afraid there's no hope for Teddie or for her. She's dying.”

“What about her Bonded?” Yukiko asked. “Where are they?”

“We can't find them, and our prayers have gone unanswered."

Yukiko looked sadly back at the door. "It's almost like she's been abandoned.”

“All of us feel this way,” Rei grit his teeth. “It's like we've been left to fend for ourselves, and no one knows why, or what we did to deserve this.”

The words caught in Rise's throat. “And our friends have this same illness?”

Rei simply nodded. 

“Who's Teddie's bonded? We should find them and--” Rise began.

“Teddie has no bonded.” Rei looked to each of them seriously. “He named himself.” 

Rise's eyes widened in disbelief. “You mean, he's going to die? You're just giving up on him? That... That can't be true!” She clenched her fists in anger. 

“I'm afraid it is.” Rei's tone remained sorrowful. “That's part of the consequences of his particular position. He can't access the key element he needs to facilitate the healing process, because it doesn't exist. You'll just be giving him a cup of tea. It'll lessen his symptoms, and make him comfortable, but it won't touch the Hollow infection. He needs to make contact with the spirit energy of a Bonded in order to survive. Without it to fight the infection for him, he'll be eaten away from the inside until he's an empty shell.” He thought of the dog demon whom he'd tried desperately to save. “Then, without a soul shard to harbor, his body will disappear.” 

Rise bit her lip. There was no way they'd come this far only to fail in saving their friend. It just wasn't fair. But if they didn't come back with a cure, the others faced the same fate.

The raccoon doctor gestured toward the turnstiles leading back into the broken labyrinth of their town's evil twin. “You must hurry. Find the Shadow responsible.”

“You can't defeat the Reaper,” Shigeru said, “So don't even try.”

“Just get some of its energy and bring it back here. I can create a cure from it. You don't have much time. Your animal demons will only get worse the longer you wait.”

“How much time do we have?” Yu asked. 

“There's no way to know. For her,” he paused, glancing back to the last train car. “She won't last 'till nightfall. We're making her as comfortable as possible. There's very little of the soul aspect left within her. She is someone's artistic side.”

“You don't need some kind of herb or something for this tea? How can we get its energy?” Kanji frowned, frustrated. All he wanted was a damned treatment for Naoto and to get out of this place. 

"Shadows," Shigeru explained, "are the embodiment of repressed elements of Humanity --their dark sides, the negativity no one wants to face. They're the opposite of us." 

"What do you mean 'opposite?'" Yukiko asked. 

She heard a derisive snort from behind him, and turned to find the white fox, Ai Ebihara, strolling across the platform toward them with a bowl of rice and an orange in her hands. "Figures you wouldn't know, especially seeing as how you approach fashion like...that." She eyed Yukiko's choice of a long skirt ensemble, and brushed her hair away from her face with her free hand. "Animal demons are also the discarded elements of lost Human souls --the not so obviously malicious ones. Those become Shadows. When someone gives up a part of themselves –splits their soul--that element is reborn as an Animal demon taking on the traits of the animal best befitting that part of the Human's soul." 

Shigeru scowled at her, flicking his tail. “Whoever threw you out with the trash gave up their vanity.”

“And you were someone's suspicious nature.” She clicked her tongue at him in fake despair, as if his opinion mattered. “Ever ungrateful, Shigeru. I was hoping Mina would bring out a gentleman in you.” She sighed with the same false reserve. “But, I guess we can't always get what we wish for.”

“Is that for the cat?” Yu gestured to the tray. The orange gave its intention away. 

Ai nodded. She was surprised when he relieved her of its weight and offered to take it inside. Seeing that it wouldn't do any harm, she allowed it. After all, he was taking care of the little fox. Mina had been in his class. She hoped the two would be able to meet someday when he finally came home.

"There have always been more Shadows than Animal Demons," Rei continued when Yu moved back into the train. "We've been able to keep a balance pretty well until now. The red stain covering our world somehow transformed the yokai caught in the initial attack to Maya.”

“Wait, what did you call them?” Kanji held up his hand. 

“Maya,” Rei repeated. “They're unformed shadows. They're the ones that consume animal demons to increase their power,” he spat with disgust.

“You guys are hunted for food?” Yukiko gasped. 

“Yes. The energy from us boosts their growth into full fledged Shadows.”

“That's awful,” she frowned.

Kanji's mind wrapped around the strange coincidence. How did their leader automatically know that name when none of them had run across those monsters before now? “And … the school is like a safe place?” He ventured, wanting to know just how may of Yu's 'hunches' were correct.

“Sometimes. There are small pockets of Yokai all over town, but the majority of animal demons are with us.” The raccoon continued. “There's no way to know how far this has spread. We haven't had contact with anyone outside the Valley. In fact, that's what Teddie was doing. He'd gone to find help, but was separated from his party when the Reaper attacked."

Yu returned to join the group and gave a nod that he was ready to leave. “We'll be back as soon as we can.” 

“Good luck.”

Ai handed Rise a pair of pink and white framed glasses so she'd be able to see through the fog. 

The group left the train station haven behind into the unknown horrors of the fog deliberately seeking out a monster powerful enough kill them in one strike. 

They had to be nuts.

* * * *  
Fortune smiled on them less than fifteen minutes into their search. They'd just passed by the crumbling Mandala Apartment Complex when the fog suddenly thickened. Rise summoned Himiko in order to track down their target. Oddly, Yu didn't complain or squint in the thickened atmosphere at all like he had before. It may as well have not existed for him in the first place. 

A strong sense from the center of the street set his adrenaline spiking. He drew his blade and slid his left foot back.

Shadows poured in from all sides, accumulating in their path. They twisted their dark bandages around a massive Humanoid form. They're ghostly cries morphed into one deep bellowing tone. Chains ripped from the ebony sheath, whipping around its body and shredding the remains of the cords. It gripped elongated, thin silver pistols in its both hands and sneered down at them. They had nowhere to run. 

“What is that thing?” Rise's voice quivered. “It feels bad.”

Yukiko spotted a fan tossed to the side with a pile of smashed t.v sets and other belongings, and ran to pick it up. She didn't know why this would be useful, but she'd followed her instinctual reaction. The others were sure to question her motives, though. She ran back to them. Leveling out the open pink fan, she sliced it across the air at the card that appeared in front of her. “Persona!” Konohana Sakuya's brilliance flared to life behind her. 

The Reaper clenched its arms across its body. A wave of power coursed over it, then it lashed out at them with its chains. The metal impacted the ground, sending up chunks of asphalt. All three were knocked to the ground. 

Yukiko's persona momentarily covered the group with an azure light. 

“The hell?” Kanji stood as his scrapes and cuts closed themselves. “Awesome!” 

“Izanagi!” Yu's Persona exploded to life and stabbed lightning bolts through the dark Shadow's body. 

It reeled back, but was nowhere near falling. Shigeru was right; they weren't powerful enough to take this thing on, let alone destroy it. 

Yukiko's fire attack cut across the expanse to surround it with flames. 

It dropped to one knee, then suddenly pushed outward. The fire blazed back at its caster. 

Yukiko screamed when it engulfed Konohana Sakuya. The Persona buckled, weakened.

“Yukiko!” Yu ran to help her, but was cut off by another blow from the Shadow's chains.

The sound of dual gunshots froze them to their core. Though no bullets were involved, the area in front of their enemy lit brightly. 

“Mamudoon...” Rise whispered in horror. “Its going to cast a powerful charge! LOOK OUT!” She screamed. 

The magic hammered into the ground, expelling outward at the group. 

Kanji dove out of the way in an attempt to dodge.

Yukiko hid her face as her Persona took a great deal of the damage. Her breath shuddered past the pain throughout her body.  
Yu hit the ground hard enough to knock the katana from his hand and felt like the powerful assault was crushing him into the dirt. Izanagi glitched, barely able to maintain its form.

The cat demon on the train opened her eyes and sat up. Her fist clenched around the fabric of her blanket as something warm pulsed through her heart. Slowly, her gaze drifted to the door.

A heaviness pressed on Yukiko's back. “Kanji,” she grunted. 

The younger student had thrown himself in the way to protect her. He grunted, rolling to his knees and panting heavily. “Son of a bitch,” he groaned in pain.

She sat up, spotting Yu trying to stand up nearby as he wrapped his fingers around the sword hilt. All of them had been nearly knocked out in a few blows. It couldn't end like this. Chie needed her. Naoto needed Kanji, and Yosuke needed Yu. Without this cure, her best friend would die a horrible death –alone, and frightened. “Konohana..,” she whispered. The Persona used more of her energy to once again cover the three in a healing light. She felt drained, but she and her friends were able to stand once more. 

“We just need a piece of this thing, right?” Kanji wiped at a cut on his lip that slowly healed from the magic. “Then we gotta do this, guys. We can't give up!” He forced past the fear the Reaper washed through him and charged with the chair. It pissed him off, and he wasn't going down without a fight. Not when Naoto's life depended on him. 

Yu charged, swinging his sword in a myriad of strikes while his Persona dealt a slashing blow. The reaper slammed its fist into Izanagi. The impact to his Persona's ribs pushed out a hard cough, but he cut repeatedly at its legs. The giant Shadow dropped to the street. Its fist pounded the ground where the tiny Human once stood, but Yu was too fast. He clutched at his chest, panting, and watched Yukiko's Persona attack with barbs of fire. Each one needled the Shadow. 

He worked his palms against the wrapped sword hilt, breathing hard. Rei's description of the illness played through his mind. He lifted the blade and charged. “I...will not... lose you!”

The Reaper's gunfire sent another powerful shock through them once more, throwing them back. 

Rise stayed back. Her entire body shook in terror fueled by shock. This Shadow was too powerful to run from. Her friends were going to die, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She hated herself for it. Her friends had to fight, and all she could do was watch. A tear slid down her face. “Get up,” she whimpered. None of her friends were moving, but she could see they still had life...barely. They wouldn't be able to survive another hit. “Please, get up.”

* * * *  
_Get up_ , the tiny cat thought. She flopped back to the bed, gripping the blanket tightly and staring through the window at the red and black sky of her world. _Please. Fight._ She didn't pay attention to the door opening, or the worried scamper of Mina as the little bunny-girl cried for help. She stretched her trembling fingers toward the window. He'd given her the greatest gift anyone could bestow. He'd made her happy, he'd given back everything. Offering what little she possessed was the least she could do, no matter what happened. She needed him to know the depth of her gratitude. _Take it..back._

* * * *  
A power similar to that of Izanagi's stirred in Yu's mind. He reached for it the same as he'd reached for Pyrojack, and accepted it. He recalled Izanagi.

Kanji was able to get to his feet first, though he staggered. He was pretty sure a couple of ribs had been cracked. He managed to land a strike to the Shadow's knee before it snatched the teenager off his feet by his neck. 

His chair fell to the ground with a tinny clatter. Trapped, Kanji tried to pry its grip free. Naoto, he grimaced. I can't...let you die..I don't care...what it takes. Spots began to fill his vision. I won't...hide...anything from you... ever... AGAIN! His right fist cambered back, and he thrust a punch at the Reaper's elbow. He didn't expect it to go through the brief appearance of a card a split second before impact. 

Something massive slammed its own gorilla knuckles into the back of the Shadow's head. 

It let him go. Kanji rolled when he hit the ground and coughed for air. A wide, black, hulking creature painted in the outline of bones stood guard over him. “Wh..what the... A.. Persona?” 

“It's wounded! Do it now!” Rise cried out. 

Yu stood, held the sword out, and reached out for the new card. “Change! Yaksini!” The air chilled as energy coalesced and formed into a lithe purple-skinned warrior woman bearing a headdress of long, sharp golden horns over wild black hair. At its user's command, it leveled its diamond tipped dual blades at the Reaper and shot spears of ice directly at its chest. 

The ice crawled over its body, encompassing it in a frozen block. The Reaper strained and struggled within. The barricade wouldn't hold for long. 

“Rah!” Kanji thrust his fist across the air. Simultaneously, his Persona's fist slammed into the shadow's back, knocking it to the ground. It faded out seconds later, leaving its victim stunned. 

* * * *  
Rei burst through the door with Ai right behind him. The two called to the little cat-girl, trying frantically to order her to keep her eyes open. The hollow infection stole everything from her, and yet she still smiled. The raccoon begged her to hold on. She turned to look at him, and whispered the reason for her joy. Ai covered a gasp of shock, her hand trembling, and the doctor was speechless. The tiny cat's delicate smile remained as she rested her hand over her heart. A warm light lived there. She would be all right now. It didn't hurt anymore. She was no longer alone. 

Mina shrank down to normal size and curled up next to her, crying her name. Blue wisps of flowing, diaphanous energy swirled slowly upward from the cat-demon's feet, leaving nothing behind in its wake. Soon, Mina was alone, sobbing, and clutching tightly to the blanket. 

She screamed the cat demon's name.

* * * *  
Yu recalled Yaksini and put his original persona to the foreground again. Izanagi shimmered into view. This time they had the Reaper for sure. “Go! Izana—” A sharp pain cut though his chest, seizing his breath. It was deeper than any wound he'd received so far, and burned cold as though the ice had shredded through him instead. He collapsed to his hands and knees, wide eyed. An image of the cat demon on the train flashed through his mind. He remembered setting the food on the table next to the bed. 'Who are you?' She'd whispered. He'd answered her and let her know why he'd volunteered to bring the food to her, then grinned slightly at her surprise. He handed her a peeled slice of the orange. Since she was so little, and didn't have the energy to change back to Human form, it was all she could carry. The fatigue on her face lessened, and she'd genuinely smiled despite the emptiness he could see in her eyes. There wasn't much left to her. And now he knew just how little had remained. 

The feeling of loss was overwhelming. He lifted the blade and charged, screaming a battle cry. In perfect synchronized motion, he and his Persona slashed at their enemy. Yu cut at in repeat strokes, filling each razor-sharp strike with that same sense of loss until finally, the ice shattered. 

He picked up a frozen chunk of it's eye. This would save his friends, but they were too late for her. His fingers curled around it protectively, as if he could have guarded her in the same way. “I'm sorry,” he whispered. 

“It's still dazed. Now's our chance to get out of here!” Rise lifted Himiko's visor and let her Persona disappear. “Yu? Come on!” 

Yukiko ordered Konohana Sakuya to heal her friends once more, though it took more out of her. 

Healed, Kanji took the opportunity to thank her by carrying her back to the train station. 

The group fled the scene, leaving a wounded Reaper recovering in the dust. They'd nearly lost their lives for a single shard of it energy. 

* * * *  
They returned to the train station battered, weary, and at the end of their rope. Rei immediately took them in to the second car so he could treat their wounds. All were eager to get back home before it was too late. 

While the others were resting, Yu went to the back of the train to ask about the cat-demon girl, though he already knew the answer. He stood there silently as the archer raccoon unleashed a verbal lashing on him befitting the legendary Master Tirade Artist, Kinshiro Morooka. He listened about how he'd been reckless, that this wasn't something to be played around with, how he disregarded the consequences of his actions, and possibly endangered himself, the fox, and her. 

Yu accepted the punishment, but he only had one question. “Was she happy?” 

Shigeru finally settled down. “Yes. She was smiling when she closed her eyes.” 

Yu let a soft smile show. “I'm glad.” 

Shigeru gave a stiff bow and left to go take a walk. He needed fresh air and privacy to grieve over his older sister. 

The reprimand finally ended, Yu dropped heavily into a seat and relaxed for the first time since he'd arrived, only his solitude didn't last. He felt something jump onto his leg and opened his eyes to find the little bunny-girl sitting on his right thigh in her native form. Her ears flopped at her back. If she was anything like Yosuke, the level of emotion she felt could possibly be keeping her from returning to Human form. “Mina?”

She looked up at him. Sadness filled her eyes. “I..,” the little girl stuttered, sniffling and wiping her nose on her long sleeve. “I..wanted to thank you. Because of you, she … she remembered me and Shigeru.” Mina threw her tiny arms around him as much as she could in a hug as tears slipped unchecked from her eyes. “Thank you for giving it back to her,” she sobbed. “Thank you for giving me back my big sister.” 

This little animal demon really was like Yosuke. Like him, she wasn't afraid to show her emotions. He smoothed down her ears, saying nothing, but showing that he accepted the gratitude in the motion. 

To her, that action spoke louder than any words. The little bunny-demon hopped down to the floor, and ran out of the train to meet up with Ai outside on the platform. 

Yu watched them for a moment, then went back to the car with Kanji and Yukiko. They waited until the doctor had finished creating the cure from the Shadow shard—something he called a 'balm of life'—, and memorized his directions. This powder needed to be put into a tea made by the hands of that animal demon's bonded, or it wouldn't work. The tea would open up their connection, essentially allowing their Human counterparts to 'join the fight.' 

“Go.” Rei motioned them out. “Don't bring Teddie here. You'll risk endangering everyone.” He glanced to his feet, took a deep breath, and met their eyes again. “I'll inform the others of his fate.”

They couldn't argue anymore about a way to save their friend, because each attempt kept them locked in a circle without a different outcome. Defeated, they bowed in respect, and left the train station behind. 

They walked back to the portal, keeping quiet and avoiding any shadow battle they ran across. They all felt like crap, were exhausted, and just wanted to get home. 

Rise stopped. How could something so barbaric be allowed to happen? That bear demon was innocent, and yet because of a simple thing like receiving a name, he was doomed to suffer the Hollow infection, become empty –to die. 

Her three companions turned back. 

“You comin', pig tails?” Kanji said. 

Rise fought for breath to speak. “I'll,” she choked, “I'll do it.” She turned her eyes to them. “I'll give Teddie back his name.”

“Rise,” Yukiko uttered, “you don't know what you're getting yourself into.”

“Like you guys did?” She snapped. “I'm already involved! I can't just let him die like that poor cat-demon! He doesn't deserve that. He doesn't deserve to be alone.” 

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Yu rested a hand on her shoulder. 

“No,” Rise muttered. “But...who else will?” She was locking herself into an unknown scenario that would save the life of her friend, but at the same time, it offered a never-ending whirl-wind of cherry-picked irritable moments. 

Yu smiled slightly to reassure her that he was on her side. "You're 'beary' brave, Rise."

"Don't you start! I'm going to be stuck with those horrible puns for-"

"The rest of your life," Yukiko stated flatly.

"...You're not making this decision any easier, ya know," she snapped.

Kanji smirked. "That bear is a serious handful. I'm proud of ya."

"But, " she whined. "But..." She took a deep breath, crying out to the vacant town, "But he's so annoying!"

Yu fell to the rear of the group and watched his friends enter the portal. He'd known they wouldn't be able to return in time for Rei to create a cure for and heal the cat-demon, but he'd taken the risk anyway. It only existed for less than a half hour, which wasn't nearly enough time, but it was enough to set him into attacking the Reaper when she'd died. He'd felt the bond break within his own heart, and never wanted to be hurt like that again. She'd taught him to treasure the connections he'd made with his family, friends, and his fox. He would always remember that gift, and the smile of fulfillment on her face when he'd given back her name. 

If only for those few minutes, she'd known she was no longer alone. He glanced up at the red sky, imagining a world full of sunlight and how she must have loved picking oranges beneath its warm honey-gold rays. 

“Thank you … Kurumi.”


	33. 33rd Scent: The Cure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They arrive just in time to save the three animal demons. Rise gives Teddie back his name, and Yu finally accepts the fox as 'his.'

33rd SCENT: THE CURE

_August 19th. Friday. Before sunrise..._

His rust and black ears twitched. He heard the door open followed by the soft shuffle of feet across the floor, and watched a large hand pull the blanket away from the cat demon next to him. The Human carefully pushed her up into a sitting position and tipped a sake cup to her lips. She mewed in disgust at the flavor.

The cat...he knew her. Her name was...was... Why couldn't he remember her name? She was his friend. The little fox blinked as his vision blurred, and he shivered. He felt cold through his core.

"Come on, Naoto." Kanji gently steadied her as she mewed weakly, upset at being moved. "I know this smells like ass, but you gotta down this stuff."

She sniffed it, then planted her hand over her mouth. It took all her strength just to sip it. She mewed and pressed her face into his pant leg. All she wanted to do was sleep. She just wanted to curl up with him.

Kanji grimaced, worried that she was too sick to do more than crawl. He smoothed down her ears in comfort and affection, though he didn't know how to voice it. "Hey, hey, knock it off. You have to drink this, Naoto."

Her petulant mew muffled into the fabric. She wasn't strong enough to resist him moving her again so she could finish the tea.  
The fox blinked slowly. He could smell that stuff from here, and hoped he wouldn't have to suffer the same fate.

Movement in front of him pulled at his attention as a tired Yukiko entered the room and sat next to the dog demon at his left. He stared at the back of Chie's ears peeking out from under the blanket. She coughed and curled up.

"It's disgusting, but you can do it. You're the strong one, remember?" Yukiko tired to bolster her friend's confidence. It seemed to work.

The little dog demon tried, but scrunched her eyes shut and face planted into the soft futon with a 'yarf.' She whined when Yukiko picked her up so she could drink the rest. Pinching her nose, Chie downed another sip. Yukiko's care staved off the cold spearing through her chest, and gave her the energy to finish this challenge. The memories she'd been trying to retain stopped fighting her efforts.

Yosuke heard all of this, could smell the combined stank of the tea, and refused to come out from under the blanket. Their friends had come back to torture them. They were already ill, sore, and unable to eat. What did they do to deserve more punishment? He whimpered. They'd surely come for him next. He'd be pulled from the protective cocoon of blanket, betrayed by the only one he trusted with his life, and forced to drink what smelled like moldy ditch water by...

He pulled down his ears and forced his thoughts through the pounding headache. He could see his friend's face, hear his voice, and held on to each image when they started to slip away. The name was right on the tip of his tongue. It started with a 'Y...'

The sounds of the world outside the blanket muffled through the soft, puffy cotton. He heard Chie complain about the flavor to Yukiko. Naoto–finally freed of consuming that liquid nastiness—curled back up nearby. Had the others gone through this, too, before their friends came back? His heart began to race in fear as each memory slowly faded. Something was gradually eating them away. It was stealing pieces of his heart. Terrified of losing everything, he buried his face in his tail and held tightly on to every tiny detail he could recall: the musty smell of the box, the sound of the rain pattering around him, how cold and wet he felt, the glow from the dimly lit lantern nearby, the colors of the cotton towels beneath his bare feet, and when he looked up at the extended, welcoming hand of the only person to notice he was there, the sense of no longer being alone. He curled up as if to curl around it—to guard it from the Hollow thief threatening to pull everything about him into the void—and put all of his focus into reliving that moment. 'My name is Yu Narukami,' the man—his friend—had said. 'I'm not going to hurt you. See?'

* * * *  
Yu sprinkled the ebony powder into a cup in the kitchen and stirred the contents.

Rise leaned against the counter. "I'm not sure I'm O.K. with having that kind of power over someone, but if it'll help, then..." she tired to justify the action.

"You won't be alone," He assured her. “You've got us.”

She watched him stir the powder into his cup of tea. His uncle's sake set was the smallest they could find. "Are you sure this will work?"

"Let's hope so." He picked up his cup once the liquid had turned a deep green, but set it back down again to take a deep breath.

That worried her. "You'd better go."

He nodded, picked up the cup again, and moved upstairs.

Rise exhaled heavily. Setting her resolve, and finding bravery from an unknown source, she poured hot water into the last sake cup, picked it up with the vile of dust mixture the doctor had given them, and joined everyone upstairs. Each step held its own eternity, for she knew her life would change when she reached the top.

The door had been left open. Nanako was sleeping peacefully on the couch. She'd left the TV on, so the soft mutterings of a soap opera drama created a comfortable white noise. The light was on and the curtains were drawn, but only a fraction of sunlight had begun to tint the sky. The four small creatures lay on a futon on the floor beneath a blanket taken from the bed, and the table that normally took up the middle of the room had been pushed to the wall by the door to make space.

Naoto gripped the fabric and rolled over to curl up against the fox. Yosuke grimaced, breathing sharply, and lolled his head toward the cat demon. They had been in the box together, so this motion was an automatic attempt to find comfort.

Yu poked the lump of fox lightly. "C'mon, little guy. Your turn."

He whined and pulled the blanket tighter.

Though he'd given the fox commands before, he hated knowing that it turned his best friend into a puppet. Still, if it meant healing the little guy, he'd accept the punishment. He pulled the blanket back and leaned him up. "Yosuke," he paused, hating the authoritative way the next words came out of his mouth. "I want you to drink this. All of it."

Yosuke looked up, then to the cup, and frowned. The strength in those words filled his pounding head and overpowered his weariness. Somehow, he found the energy to obey. "Dude, this...is gross." And yet he grudgingly sipped from it anyway. It tasted worse than it smelled –like asphalt and gun powder. The least he could have done was put honey in it, or sugar. Still, he let his effort relax on holding onto the memories, because they were becoming more and more easy to recall. Only when he'd emptied the cup did he let himself collapse back to the futon.

Yu glanced to Yukiko, who calmly pet Chie's ears and down her back as though she were actually a puppy. Yet she thought nothing of it, and she seemed at ease. Even Chie had stopped shivering and relaxed. Neither cared if anyone saw them. He looked next to Kanji. The younger student lightly scratched Naoto's mop of dark blue hair and down her tail, and he could hear a subtle sound like purring from her. Both were happy.

His hand hovered over the fox's drooped ears, though only for a second. This whole time, he'd told himself that Yosuke wasn't a creature to be owned or treated like an animal, he was a friend. Yet part of him wanted to follow Yukiko's and Kanji's example. It was a basic, face-value action without any ulterior motive. It simply...was. The others didn't seem to have a problem with being open enough to let someone else in. So, why did he?  
Rise set the cup down next to the bear demon. She had to do this now before it was too late. She looked to each of her friends, who all gave her nods or motions to 'go ahead,' and tilted the tiny bear toward her.

He blinked slowly trying to smile. It faded. "Can I have some water, Rise?" Though he spoke, he didn't have the strength to lift his head off the cushion. "Pretty lady," he whispered. The chill of emptiness made him feel like a hollowed out shell, but at least he'd seen her face. She was beautiful and kind, and he didn't mind drifting off to sleep with that image.

Before she could answer, he'd gone still... too still. Scared she'd taken too much time, she shook him carefully to get any kind of response. "Hey, wake up. Teddie. Teddie, c'mon, stop playing around. This isn't funny." Her lip trembled when he didn't move. "Oh no.. Teddie. Teddie!" She gathered up the little bear-boy into her arms. "Wake up. I'm sorry we took so long. Teddie, please."

A pinpoint of warmth melted through the bear's heart. The scent of lavender made his nose twitch. "What," he mouthed softly.

She hugged him, resting her hand over the back of his head and smiled. "Your name," she sniffled. "It's Teddie."

His ears twitched as he looked up at her. “My... name?” The music of her voice was that of an angel's. That name she spoke, it truly belonged to him. He could feel it change something within him and that made his little tail wag. That warmth began to chase away the emptiness.

"Rise," Yu tugged at her attention to bring it back to the tea. If Teddie was this far gone, she had even less time than he did with Kurumi.

"Right." She laid the bear boy back down, sprinkled the last of the powdered shadow shard into the warm water and stirred until it darkened. She tucked her hand behind his back to steady him and put the cup to his lips. "Drink all of this, Teddie." she knew it was a command, but right now she didn't care.

The bear placed both hands on the cup to sip the liquid. He moaned at the horrible flavor and flopped back. This wasn't water at all. "This is grizzly," Teddie murmured.

"Oh, Teddie, please," she bit her lip.

He drank the rest of it and curled back up.

Rise set the cup down, exhaled, and watched him. She felt light headed.

"Are you ok?" Yukiko let Chie sleep and move to sit next to her friend.

She nodded. "Just a little dizzy."

"I guess that means it's workin'. Well, Teddie was the worst off," Kanji let Naoto rest, stood and stretched. "I gotta check in at home before my old lady thinks I ran away or somethin'. I'll be back later." He regarded Yu with seriousness and respect. "Keep an eye on her for me? I'm counting on you."

Yu nodded. "She's safe." 

Kanji trusted Yu, and so he left. It took most of his will power to leave Naoto asleep on the floor. He wanted to bring her with him, but knew it wouldn't be smart to move her. If he got home before the sun came up, his mother might not even notice. He'll sneak in, pretend to wake up, do the morning chores, and get back to the little cat as soon as possible.

Yukiko gasped. "That's right. None of us came home last night. Our parents are going to ground us for life." She'd just tell Chie's parents that her best friend stayed over again. It was still summer, so sleepovers happened all the time. Her own mother, however, might shackle her to the inn's front desk. "I'm sorry," she bowed. "I have to go. Please look after Chie. I really don't want to leave her side, but..."

"I'll watch her. Good luck." Yu nodded, then turned to their last guest. "Rise, won't your grandmother..."

But Rise had already passed out next to Teddie with her hand across the bear's chest. He held on to it like a child cuddling a stuffed animal. She wasn't going anywhere. Only time would tell if she managed to successfully return the bear-demon's name and administer the tea in time to save what was left of his soul, and hopefully restore it.

He carefully picked up a sleeping Nanako, and carried her back to her room. She stirred slightly, though remained asleep. She must have stayed up far beyond her bed time to be the best nurse Inaba had to offer. He'd noticed she'd cleaned up the tissues, and saw a plate with a few crackers on them –just like he'd done for her when she'd had a cold. Nanako truly came through for them. She was a gem his uncle should be thankful for.

He went back to his room and moved the blanket slightly to cover Rise, and sat down on the couch to watch the rest the drama reruns –Yu recognized it as old episodes of "Oshin." His mom loved this series. It had been on for years. 

Only a couple of hours lived before the country town of Inaba greeted a fresh, new day. None of its residents would ever know of the surreal, life-threatening mission the four high school students had endured to save their friends' lives.

Maybe to unwind, he'd talk to Kou Ichijo about shooting some hoops. That guy was always after him for a round ever since he'd sunk a clean swish from half court.

Hopefully Yukiko wouldn't be grounded—at least for too long if she was caught.

Yosuke's coughing fit broke his train of thought. The magic of the Reaper shard was working on all four of the demons to turn the Hollow infection into a common illness they could fight. All were sleeping peacefully, except for Yosuke. He still shivered, suffering and struggling to join in the respite.

He shut the t.v. off and lowered himself to the floor next to the fox. He watched the little guy exhale short, shuddered breaths in a cold sweat like he was in pain. Though his eyes were closed-scrunched shut-he was completely awake. Yosuke's hand gripped the cotton futon fabric near his face. "Why not?" Yu wondered softly as Yosuke pulled his tail around himself and coughed weakly into his fur. "Why can't you get to sleep?" He had given him the tea, but he nor the animal demon could relax like the others. He still felt like the little fox-boy's soul continued to be attacked -that his life was still in danger. What else did he need?

Then he thought of what his friends had done that he hadn't; They'd pet their animal demons. The others had been free to do so, but he'd refused to do the same, because he held on to the belief that the fox-demon wasn't a pet, or a possession. He was his friend, an individual with thoughts and a free spirit that could not be owned. Yet, Teddie, Chie, and Naoto had gained something important from just being pet.

Yu reached out, though paused. He thought of Kurumi. If he had let go then, would this have helped the cat-demon live long enough to wait for a cure? Had his reservation played a part in her death? He clenched his fist and grimaced at the thought. She'd given him the gift to appreciate what he had, but it was up to him to see the full value of that gift.

Just this once, he needed to completely leave behind that barrier he'd built to keep people out. If he didn't, the little fox would still die.  
Yu extended his hand once more, paused, and rested it over the tiny fox's ears. He smoothed them down repeatedly.

Yosuke exhaled at the welcoming pressure of having his ears flattened and absorbed every second. He didn't get this often, and wanted to soak up as much as possible during the usual three second ear scratch. He counted off in his head: one, two, three, ...four, five? Wait, that couldn't be right.

Yu stopped when the fox boy looked up at him through a haze of confusion. He'd probably gone beyond his friend's comfort zone. Although he'd started to relax a little, and wanted to continue, he didn't know how the fox would take it. Better safe than sorry. He looked away with a light sigh. Maybe he could watch t.v again, or something.

Small trembling fingers gripped his hand when he'd moved to get up.

Yosuke shivered as the chill in his core began to spread again. This happened every time Yu let go, and he wanted that uncomfortable roller coaster to stop. He didn't care how he acted now, since he could hardly open his eyes. To hell with being Human. He was a fox, and right now he wanted to curl up with the one who named him. Taking a risk, he disregarded Human social behavior and pulled himself closer into Yu's palm. The weight of it was comforting.

Apparently, the little yokai didn't want him to stop. Yu rubbed his ears again, and noticed after a minute that the fox-boy finally stopped shivering. So, there was something to this after all. The energy transfer in the contact bolstered the animal demon's recovery. This was what Rei meant when he'd said the animal demons needed to connect with the spirit energy of their bonded. If this kept Yosuke away from Kurumi's grim fate, then he would give it his full effort for as long as it took, no matter what—anything to make sure the Hollow infection couldn't steal the young yokai's memories or his life. "Ok, little guy. I won't let go until you feel better."

He rubbed the fox's back as he'd seen Yukiko do to Chie, down his soft tail, then back up to his hair. To his surprise, this simple motion steadied his own heart rate, and made him happy. He'd heard that animals have this sort of calming affect when people simply pet them for the sake of the act. Nothing more, nothing less. Maybe, as the fox's bonded, he was supposed to do this. Kanji and Yukiko, even Rise already understood the benefits –but he had resisted it thinking it was degrading to the fox. Yosuke was a person, not an animal. Now he realized he'd been wrong. The fox-demon wasn't one or the other; he was both. Neglecting his animal side had prolonged his suffering. Yu couldn't ignore that anymore. From now on, he would try to remember that, though old habits are hard to break.

Yosuke relaxed as the cold receded further and further away. He'd wanted Yu to do this for a very long time, but they were always preoccupied with making sure he behaved like a Human, and he knew his friend was uncomfortable with contact. So he'd accepted that was just the way things were, and moved on. Despite this, sometimes all he wanted to be was a fox. Being scratched like this felt like a reward. No wonder Naoto had purred, and Chie fell asleep almost immediately. He'd been denied a hell of an awesome thing until now.

Yu lazily continued. Mrs. Hanamura's words replayed in his mind as he smoothed down the others ears and watched him finally fall asleep. 'He belongs to you. He always will. Even though he'll live here, his true home is wherever you are.' 

If only for a little bit, he was content to let himself be O.K. about accepting ownership of a small, young fox-demon.

* * * *  
_Late that morning..._

Yosuke scrambled violently awake. “No! I don't wanna go to Africa!” 

He panted, wide eyed around his racing heart. That dream had been way too real. He blinked and fought to remember where he was, and how he got there. The disorientation gradually cleared along with his vision while the rest of his senses slowly caught up. Sounds filtered through his muddy hearing. The illness affecting him still attempted to keep him under, though he could feel its hold on him slipping away. A shuddered breath left him. He was still shaking from the nightmare. He stared at the dark, square ceiling light. _Where am I? What happened?_ He thought. _Did I die? No, my whole body hurts, so I have to be alive._ He shut his eyes. _Ok, remember. What's my name? My name is, it's …. Yosuke. Ok, good._ He coughed. His mind suddenly flared to life with images and the memory of falling asleep to his ears and tail being genuinely pet. That had been Yu. _Wait...Where is he? ... Yu? Yu?!_ The warm, heavy blanket tightened around him slightly. He relaxed as a sense of calm energy coursed through him from head to toe, and pulled him out of the haze. His breathing evened out, and his panic level faded. This place was safe. He sniffed the air. The futon he lay on smelled familiar, as did the blanket he held onto. Sure enough, this was Yu's room. That settled his nerves. He exhaled, more at ease, happy that he was in a place that was nowhere near this Africa-thing.

The various sounds in the room made his ears twitch. The t.v was on, as he could hear the cartoon sound-effects of a morning episode of "Detective Hound" through the room, along with the muffled coughing from his companions. He shut his eyes from a headache probably caused by the sudden jolt to consciousness, and tried to sit up, but the blanket weighed him down. Weird. It draped in a perfect line across his collar bone. He wasn't wrapped up in it at all. So, why couldn't he get up? Maybe that sickness robbed him of his ability to move. The panic returned. No! He'd never run again! He'd never get to jump in puddles or bolt up the stairs, or show Chie his fierce ninja moves, or race Yu to school--!

To his surprise, the blanket constricted once more around his ribs briefly before it let up. His panic disappeared.

Curious, he pulled up the blanket, and stared in confusion at the source. 

Yu's right hand rested across his torso. The owner of said hand lay on his left side across the side of the futon with his head facing the couch –feet toward the television set— and breathing lightly in slumber. He was 100% gone to the world.

Yosuke blinked. This never happened. So, he hadn't imagined it after all before that weird fever dream hit.

He was still weak, and although he tried, he couldn't summon enough strength to lift the giant hand. One more effort left him drained enough to catch his breath. He could tell by the weight that a nuclear blast—like the one in his dream—wouldn't wake Yu up. His tail swished. Now what?

Naoto was sitting up next to him at his left with a tissue sheet as big as her torso clutched in her hands and tapping her tail idly against the blanket top. Chie lay on her side at his right, half consciously watching the show to distract herself from how horrible she still felt, and Teddie was sound asleep on the opposite side of him burrito'd in the blanket under Rise's arm.

Naoto looked over at him at commercial break. "Morning." She sniffled. "You snore, ya know."

"Do not." He coughed, sniffling. Yu's hand tightened slightly again, then relaxed. "I feel like a truck ran me over."

"Eight trucks and a bus feel more like it." Naoto blew her nose into the tissue and grabbed a cracker from the plate to much. Her head still hurt, and she hated everything about light. She leaned against Yu's knee. His curled up, passed out form made a perfect sofa to relax against. Kanji had come back and spent time in the room with her, but now he was downstairs with Yukiko making breakfast. Thankfully, Yukiko managed to sneak back into the inn before her parents got up. For some reason, he didn't want to leave the tall, soft-spoken girl alone in the kitchen. They'd be back soon with food. She could smell the wonderful aroma of bacon, eggs, and waffles. It made her slightly ill to her stomach, but the promise of how delicious it would be helped her hold down the gag reflex.

A tiny intake of air snared his focus. "Wah! Naoto, no!" Yosuke tried to sit up, reaching desperately out to stop her, but couldn't move. She sneezed anyway. Panicked, he yanked the blanket over his head with a startled yelp. Yu's hand tightened for a quick second as the fox tucked his head against his thumb. This was it! It was all over! Good-bye cruel world! Nice knowin' ya!

Naoto sniffled. "What is wrong with you?"

Yosuke dared to peek over the blanket, expecting debris and destruction to be piled around them. The room remained unchanged. His eyes flicked to the bear-demon, though Teddie stayed completely unfazed with Rise's pigtail over his face. As he thought, Yu remained asleep, as did Rise. Everything was as it should be. So what in Inaba did he see before? That dream was far too detailed.

The little fox rushed to explain himself. "I sneezed and lost control of my Garu skill and everything got blown everywhere like a hurricane. Then Chie and the bear sneezed and everything froze because of their Bufu skill but I don't know if Teddie can use Bufu, then you sneezed and...and...and... kaboom! You exploded the house into another dimension. Yu's uncle was really mad, and Nanako was crying, and Adachi was covered in cabbages, and we couldn't stay or we'd be killed, so we had to leave Inaba to find a Shaman in an Africa and I didn't want to go."

Naoto stared at him blankly for a good, meandering, three seconds. "...eh?" Yosuke's fever must have been really high to produce that kind of a hallucinatory circus.

Chie's mumbled a barely audible response. "Africa's a continent, you idiot, not a thing."

"So? It still happened."

"I'll kick your butt to...A...a...achoo! Ugh... later when my brains aren't trying to drip out my nose." Yukiko needed to come back upstairs already. She rolled onto her back and pulled her tail across her belly. That had quickly become a comfort motion of hers. Muku was jealous, because his wasn't long enough to do the same.

Yosuke tried to speak through a clogged nose. "Everything hurts."

"That's 'cause we're sick. Teddie gave us his bug." Chie sat up to nibble on a cracker. "Sick is never fun."

"So this is 'Sick?'" He'd seen Yu with a small cold before, but it looked nothing like this. "'Sick' sucks. Achoo!" He sneezed into the blanket edge since he couldn't move. "Ow, my head. I'm gonna kill that stupid bear," he sniffled.

"I'll hold him down." Naoto's ears were flat, and her nose was bright red from too much tissue use. Her focus turned back to the t.v when the show returned. Her threat wasn't forgotten, just tucked away until she could move five feet without collapsing. Her head felt fuzzy, and her ears drooped, so she knew she still had a fever. It wasn't as bad as it had been a few hours ago. Back then, she'd been ready to pass out. The only thing that kept her from doing so was holding on to her first memory of Kanji. Most of her memories had started to fade. Thank god that tea brought them back. Still, she held a little fear that it could return to steal everything she had become. The gentle touch of her Human petting her ears had allowed her to sleep peacefully for the first time.

Yosuke tried once more to scoot out to freedom, but failed. What was Yu's arm made of? Lead?

"You stuck?" Chie asked. She wanted to laugh at the situation, but all she could get out was a slight chuckle of amusement. Anything else required more energy than she owned.

"No," he grunted as he tried to free himself again. "I am not...stuck."

"Sure looks like it," Naoto crunched on the cracker. Her fever may have broken, but she didn't want to move much. She coughed into the tissue.

"If I were stuck, I'd be..." he pushed and shoved, "having... serious...problems." Exhausted, he flopped back, panting to catch his breath. “ooooh-kay, I'm done.” His energy was pretty much gone.

"Like that? Face it. You're stuck." Chie crawled across the futon to stare Yu in the face. She waved her hand back and forth, and made funny faces. Nothing. Not even a nose twitch. The only sign he was alive was his breathing. "Wow. He's so far out, he's in orbit. I don't think an earthquake could wake him up. Someone get me a marker.”

“That requires moving, so...later." She raised her hand slightly. "I call 'mustache.'” 

"Fine. Then I call 'monocle,' Chie said.

Naoto watched him closely, noticing slight movement under his eyelids. "He's dreaming. I wonder what he's dreaming about? What do Humans dream about?"

"Stuff." Chie crawled sluggishly back to her spot and collapsed against the bedding. That was enough energy usage for now. "Who cares? Good luck."

Taking a deep breath, Yosuke pushed up once more. He failed, giving up for the moment. “Why won't he let go?” He grumbled. 

Naoto slid him an 'are you kidding me right now?' gaze. “It's painfully obvious. He's afraid to lose you.” 

Yosuke blinked. “But, I live here. I'm not going anywhere.”

“Wow, you are dense.” Naoto pressed her hand to her forehead, appalled that her friend couldn't see what was right in front of him. “He's using the bond, you idiot. He's sending his spirit energy to you so you'll recover. If my deduction is correct, he won't let go until he's sure you'll be fine.” 

“His what? … He can do that? Wait, since when?”

“Since forever.” She sighed and faceplanted into her pillow. 

“R-right now?” He stared at Yu's hand, expecting to see it glowing, or something. However, it was just a limb; nothing different or unusual about it. All he felt was warmth, and that could easily be from body heat.

“Yes, right now,” her groan of annoyance muffled through the fabric. “That's why touch is so important. He's healing you, dimwit.” She rolled onto her back. “I thought your mom was a student of history and lore on animal demons.”

“She is,” he coughed, “but she doesn't tell me anything. 'You have to figure it out for yourself,' she says.” He squeaked a high pitched mimic of his adopted mother's voice. “But even Yu knows more than I do. Hey,... how did you know, anyway?”

How did she know this? She'd observed, studied, and experienced it. “Because Kanji did that for me.” This morning, she'd awakened before anyone else to find her world still in darkness, but warm, and comforting. She'd turned onto her back to let light in and blinked up at Kanji flipping through the t.v. channels with a remote in one hand and his other supporting her at her side. She was cupped safely between his palm and his leg. Each moment that passed added to her strength like she'd been covered in soft cotton. He'd stopped channel surfing at the cartoon show and just sat in silence surrounded by his sleeping friends and the low sound of the t.v. He left a while later to go downstairs, and she felt fine. She'd meowed lightly when the cotton sense lifted, and realized what he'd been doing. 

Yosuke lifted his thumb, but stopped. He raised his head slightly to look up at his face, then back to his hand. He stared at the long fingers and slightly callused palm pinning him to the futon, and suddenly realized what else was happening beyond the cat's description. Unconscious, Yu wasn't concerned about anything, he wasn't putting up walls, or keeping up appearances. Everything he did while deep in sleep like this reflected his true, unguarded self. Slightly tightening his grip to guard the fox-demon wasn't something he would do while awake. In fact, he wasn't very good with contact at all. Yosuke noticed he tended to touch very few people, like he was leery of forming connections. He'd been getting better over the past few months, though.

This needed to be tested. Yosuke tried to lift his hand again, though he didn't attempt to wiggle free. Nothing happened. It was just dead weight. Then why- His thought was interrupted by another coughing fit that reignited the headache, left him light-headed, and stole his strength. That, however, did succeed in gaining an unplanned response. 'Ok, little guy. I won't let go until you feel better.' He'd barely heard those words, but he was sure he didn't make them up. Whenever Yu thought the fox was in trouble, he became protective. Yosuke froze when it fully hit him like Chie's galactic punt to the gut. He'd known it before, but this hammered it home: 

Yu loved him.

This was a side of his bonded he never got to see unfiltered, and didn't know when—or if—he would get to again.

"Hey, earth to Dorkface," Chie patted the blanket to get his attention. "You want help getting unstuck, or what?"

"Nah. I'm good." Yosuke pulled some of the blanket over to bundle up under his head so he could watch the show. "Just toss me a cracker, will ya?" Eating was still an iffy issue, but he felt like he could finally keep something down.

A crispy treat smacked him in the face. "Yip!"

"Sorry," Chie snickered.

"No you're not." He brushed crumbs away and munched.

She just grinned. "You sure you don't need any help?"

"Yeah, I got this. I can move any time I want. I just...don't wanna wake him up."

"Whatever." She knew he was lying, but let it go and let herself be lost in the series again.

The three spent the morning watching back-to-back episodes and resting, though they all had a nasty aftertaste from that tea. Whatever was in it, none of them wanted to sample again in their lifetime.


	34. 34th Scent: Cabin Fever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How do you entertain three house-confined, recovering animal demons? With a laser light, of course.

34th SCENT: CABIN FEVER

_August 20th. Saturday afternoon..._

Yosuke sighed on his belly, watching t.v in the living room with Nanako, Naoto, Teddie, and Chie. A pile of used tissues surrounded the animal demons. "I'm bored," He rolled over to stare at the ceiling, then sat up and looked around for any source of entertainment. The casual flick of Naoto's slim tail meant she was the first to be approached. He lay on his back, looking up at her, and reached over his head to poke her in the side. "Play with me, Naoto."

She shoo'd his hand away. "I'm studying. Ask Teddie to play with you." Naoto lay on her stomach and turned the page of a case file Detective Dojima brought back for her to look through. She'd lost her phone in the river, and still had yet to tell her mother. Thanks to Dojima, Mrs. Shirogane knew the little cat-demon was holed up in his home recovering from the flu—or at least that's how Yu had explained it. His uncle still had no idea the world inside the t.v. existed. Oddly, she hadn't given this case file to him to pass along; she'd called over Kanji and asked him to deliver it. Confused at her request, he'd obeyed and returned here earlier that day. She'd explained that Naoto needed something to keep her mind occupied until she was well enough to return home. This one was about a recent robbery at Daidara's the day before. No money was taken, but a few herbs, some of his ancient coins, and a mortar and pestle were missing. Naoto held the hope that this might be connected to Mitsuo, and if so, it could be a strong lead. For the first time in days, she was excited.

"He won't leave the couch." Yosuke complained over at Teddie sitting on Rise's lap. The bear-boy hadn't left her side since she'd given back his name, but as the day wore on, his bursts of energy were increasing.

"I need my bear-utiful rest. You're just jealous because I have a lovely maiden for a Human and you have Sensei –as cool as he is." Teddie folded his arms and stuck his tongue out at the fox on the floor.

Yosuke smirked. "So, you're a baby? A chicken bear? Bah-gawk! Buck buck!" He teased.

"I am the leader of the last group of animal demons to survive the red stain!" He thrust his finger to the sky. "I am a brave, hardy, adventurous, Grizzly, and I—" A bad cough forced him to slump wearily against Rise's stomach. "—have a headache." He suddenly froze. "Sh...shadows... Shadows! They're everywhere!" He clutched at his head, curling into a ball, and began to hyperventilate.

"Teddie, take it easy. You still have a fever." Rise pet his ears to calm him down. Doing this seemed to work to ease the animal demon's suffering. She didn't mind this at all. It was important to the bear. He was soon asleep.

"See? Plus he keeps falling asleep." Yosuke sniffled. For some reason, he'd said that in the Human language, when a majority of their conversations were in their own.

"He has a reason," Rise defended. She hadn't understood what the animal demons were saying, but she did catch that. "He lost everything he was and almost died. When his memories come back, sometimes they're painful. Try to be a little more sympathetic, Yosuke."

They all knew when a particularly strong one returned to him, because he would flop over, bury his face in Rise's shirt, or her hand, and konk out after crying like he was reliving the moment.

"We all started losing our memories," Chie laid out on a floor cushion, her tail swished idly. "Give the bear a break."

"I know, I know. Sorry. I just wanted to play." he frowned, rolling back onto his stomach. He'd started to have hazy recollections of their world before the Shadows attacked, but he hadn't told anyone yet. There wasn't much to elaborate on. Most of it was fog anyway.

He got up, stretched, and walked across the room to plant his hands against the sliding doors to the backyard. The weather outside raged in pure anger against the innocents of Inaba. He went back to his own language. It was easier this way. "I wanna go outside."

"We can't leave the house." Naoto muttered absently, studying a blurry security camera photo. "Plus it's pouring. You couldn't pay me enough to get near the door."

"But I feel better," he whined. "I'm not coughing anymo-" the round of coughs that followed blew his lie wide open.

"It sucks, but we gotta stay in. Especially during bad weather, or we could get worse." Chie sat up, still watching t.v. "That's the way it works."

The fox thunked his head against the door. "Beautiful Outside," he begged. "I don't care if you're raining. Let me enjoy you."

Nanako blinked away from her show at the little fox-boy. She knew he was still sick since his ears drooped. Her big bro and his friends had given the animal demons some of her medicine to decrease the severity of their flu symptoms. Even though she couldn't understand any of them, she knew what he wanted. "It should stop soon," she tried to cheer him up. "Then we can go outside. I wanna play, too, but daddy would be mad if we got all wet and dripped water all over the floor."

Defeated, he dragged his feet back to the cushion and flopped onto its soft surface in a heavy sigh. Being sick was the worst thing in the history of 'ever.'

A tiny red light blinked to life on the floor in front of the couch.

Naoto's eyes locked onto it instantly like it was made of cookies. It didn't go unnoticed by the fox, or the dog. Teddie, however, was still asleep. All three stared at it.

"What is that?" Yosuke eyed it curiously, sniffing the air. "That wasn't there before. I know this house like the end of my tail. That was definitely not there before."

Naoto's ears twitched. "It couldn't have appeared out of nowhere. It has to have a source."

The red dot zipped to the right, then back. It had their attentions again immediately. Yosuke yipped when it darted in a circle and stopped. His tail swept the mat eagerly. "If you don't go after it, it's mine."

Chie's tail matched his. "You guys are really falling for that?" she chided, and yet she followed the light's slow zig-zaggy movement across the tatami mats. For some reason, she couldn't look away. It was ...beautiful.

"It's mocking me," Naoto locked it in her sights, sitting up and leaning forward on her hands.

"It's a light," Chie tried to convince herself not to watch it. She had one of these for Muku, and yet...

"Don't care!" The fox pounced, missed the red light, and pounced again.

Naoto rolled her eyes at his antics. "One side, amateur." She crouched down, waited for the light to move past, followed by a happy fox chasing it. It's patterns were erratic, but there was a consistent back and forth motion occasionally. If she could predict the light's return path across the floor, she could capture it. Three...two... one ...and pounce! Her hand landed right over the light. "Hah! Got it! Now that's how you catch a—" It appeared on top of hand. "Wah!" She rolled backwards, claws out and tail fluffed. "It's a ghost!"

Yosuke bounced by, laughing and chasing down the light right past the cat demon. "It's fun!"

She hissed at it.

He ran by again with grabby hands. "I wanna bury it." The light appeared behind him. His ear cocked upwards in confusion. How did it get there? He chased it in a tight circle, and fell over from dizziness.

Naoto climbed up onto the low table and watched, not caring that Yu and Yukiko sat at it. She ignored them and stayed focused on the light that now formed a spiral behind Nanako –who giggled at Yosuke tracing said spiral. Where did it come from? It was versatile enough that it could run all over the room, on the furniture, the curtains, the walls... it had to be a ghost. Nothing else defied the laws of physics to boldly.

Chie stood and cocked one ear slightly up at the cat-girl on the table. "Are you afraid of ghosts, Naoto?"

Naoto bit her lip, hesitated, then meekly answered, "Yes." The giggling she received as a response made her bare her fangs. "That's not funny, Chie."

Chie couldn't stand it anymore, and joined the fox. "Fine, then stay up there, scardy cat!"

"I need proof." Her eyes narrowed. There was enough circumstantial evidence to mark this as an ethereal thing, but if she could actually capture it, she could unveil its secrets and find the truth.

It flashed under the table, back in front of her, and suddenly appeared next to her. "AH!" She tumbled off onto a floor cushion. "That's it! No place is safe! This thing is goin' down!" She watched it reappear, and took off across the floor. A smiled tugged at her lips as she darted around the room. This thing had appeared just in time to keep the fox from going stir-crazy. Maybe there was something less sinister about this than a spectral ulterior motive. Either way, she'd drag the truth out of it!...if she could catch it.

Chie tried to smash it with a pillow, but she underestimated her strength and fell over backwards, smashed by the cushion with a high pitched 'yip!.' She crawled out from under it. "Ow..." The red light paused by her nose. It made a tight corkscrew pattern, then took off. Sure, it resembled a bug, but now she didn't care. She growled. "Oh, it's personal." Despite being tired, and covering a cough, she dove right back into the chaos.

Yosuke stopped, panted, and coughed. He rested for a bit as he watched Chie and Naoto go after their nemesis. His tail wagged and he laughed. Finally, something to do since he couldn't go back to the Hanamuras and get his game console. He crouched down, ears back, waited, and jumped into the game as soon as he felt like he could stand.

The three chased it around the living room, over and under the dining table, on the couch by Rise, pawing up the wall, at the bottom of the stairs, and around the Humans at the table. They created a multicolored mewing, yipping, barking mess of entertainment.

It suddenly stopped in the middle of the room.

"Now's our chance. Yosuke, to the left," Naoto pointed him to the other side of the room. "Chie, we'll flank it. On three: One.. two... three!"

All three pounced, confident that they'd finally cornered their prey.

The light winked out at the last second. The result was a tangled, whining, ball of animal demons.

Yukiko laughed at the scene and leaned back from the table. "Yu, that was mean."

He chuckled next to her with the laser light poised in his right hand.

"Hey, it's cheap entertainment," Kanji reached out from his place at the table behind them. "Lemme see that thing." He'd been finishing up making lunch, since there was no chance he'd let Rise or Yukiko in the kitchen, and Yu had already contributed with making his dish.

Yu tossed the toy behind him to the tall first year, and sat back to watch round two. Picking this up from the pet department in Junes this morning proved to be a good idea after all.

Rise listened carefully, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't comprehend a single sound the three young yokai were making. She sighed in frustration. "When will I be able to understand them?"

Kanji maneuvered the laser light around the room, laughing when Naoto tried to climb the wall by the TV to get to it, and freak out when he let the red dot settle on her tail. "Who knows. I still can't."

"Me either." Yukiko sipped from her tea cup. "Yu's the only one who can."

"Probably because he's been stuck with that little lint ball since day one." Kanji clicked the light off so the three could rest. They were still pretty sick, and he knew they shouldn't be very active.

"I guess it makes sense. He did pretty much raise him." Yukiko mused.

That wasn't the answer she wanted. "I was hoping it was part of the deal."

"Give it time," Yu said.

"Hm." She harrumped.

The fox, dog, and cat had all fallen over exhausted in fits of lack-energy, drunken giggles of contentment.

Yosuke drawled out the sentence in lazy, bouncing syllables. "Do it again. Heehee."

Kanji tossed the laser light to Rise, which she caught. "Here. Go crazy,"

"Oo! Me next!" Yukiko plopped down cross-legged on the couch next to her. "Go up the wall. It's funnier when they try to go after it," she grinned.

Well, this did keep the mood light while the rain fell outside, and she didn't want to move Teddie, so why not have a little fun? Rise accepted a bowl of rice and vegetables—home grown by Nanako and Yu apparently—and ate for a few minutes while she waited for the animal demons to show signs of their strength returning. Once they were back to an acceptable level, all bets were off. She hid the laser light in her right hand and smirked.

'Click.'


	35. 35th Scent: Somewhere Only Yu Can Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another murder is announced after things start to return to normal for the team, putting them back on the case. Yu visits the Velvet Room for the first time.

35th SCENT: SOMEWHERE ONLY YU CAN KNOW

_August 23rd. Tuesday. Early afternoon..._

A floor fan hummed continual white noise throughout the living room, and the doors to the backyard were pushed wide open to let in as much fresh air as possible. The single dainty furin bell dangling over the porch gave its lilting chime to the day while clean laundry lazily billowed on the breeze. It was the definition of a lazy, postcard summer afternoon.

Naoto had gone home with Kanji that morning to continue recuperating, and Yukiko had taken Chie back to the Satonaka Dojo as soon as her friend could change back into a Human. She'd called Yu afterward to let him know everything was ok. Her parents just thought Chie had the flu and had been staying over at Yukiko's place. That also meant Chie was on lock-down until her mother deemed her healthy enough to leave the house. Rise tip-toed back with Teddie to the Marukyu Tofu shop so he could rest in her room. Since Teddie wasn't yet able to return to Human form, hiding him in her closet was a simple task. And per Mrs. Hanamura's orders, Yosuke remained at the Dojima home until he was well enough to return to hers.

Yu removed the two clothes pin clamped between his teeth and clipped up the edge of his blanket to dry in the sun.

Nanako clicked on the TV from her seat cushion on the floor.

"It's going to be another scorcher today with a high of 98 degrees, and low of 62 after sundown," the cheerful, weather-woman declared.

Nanako noticed the station tended to switch between two weather forecasters –a man and a woman. She liked Miss Keiko Ashikaga the best. She had pretty hair and smiled a lot.

Yosuke padded barefoot behind her during the forecast carrying a full laundry basket. "Anything good on?"

"No," Nanako shook her head. "Just a bunch of re-runs, and someone's lost dog was found. It must be a slow news day."

He paused. "Hey, it's Miss Ashikaga today. She's hot."

Nanako blinked. "But the studio is air conditioned."

"Eh, that's not...Nevermind." He left her alone with her t.v.

Miss Ashikaga continued. "Clear skies are predicted for the next two days, but don't get too comfortable. There's a massive low pressure front moving in from the north mixing with a high pressure stream from the west. This is a sure recipe for thundershowers and cool weather that promises to stick around for a while. Better get those coats and rain boots ready for Fall. I don't know about you, but I'm going to enjoy these last days of summer as much as possible. Do you have any plans, Kenji?"

"Well, Keiko, Shichiri Beach of Okina city is delightful, and my wife loves to go shopping,..." Kenji, the middle aged news anchor chuckled into a brief, light-hearted banter.

"This is the last of it." He set the basket on the porch, and wiped the moisture away from his brow. It was still dangerous to bet on his strength remaining. Though he was feeling much better, and could transform back into a Human at will, the illness sometimes unexpectedly sapped his energy like someone popping a balloon. He'd be fine one minute, then floored the next. This stupid infection wasn't going down without a fight. He wished it would just go away so they could get back to the investigation.

The two socks he tried to match up failed, as did the next two, and the next. "I hate socks."

Nanako called out to them. "Are you sure you don't want my help? I'm good at doing the laundry."

"We've got it, Nanako." Yu reassured her.

"Yeah, call this our 'thanks' for being such a great nurse." The sporadic tiny clothing article between regular sized clothes made it seem like they were washing Nanako's entire plushie wardrobe.

She smiled broadly. "I just did what big bro did for me."

Yosuke gave her a thumbs up with a toothy grin.

She giggled. "Your clothes are too big."

He tugged at the saggy, white V-neck shirt Yu loaned him. Thankfully, the black pajama bottoms had a drawstring. "Yeah, well, my stuff was covered in mud."

"And vomit," Yu added casually.

He cringed. "Ech. Don't remind me. I've taken five showers and I still think I smell like puke."

Nanako scrunched up her nose. "Eeww. Boys are gross." She leaned back on her hands. "But, if I had a sister and she was sick, I'd let her wear my clothes, too." A slight chuckle quickly became a full laugh at her wonderful idea. In one energetic bounce to her feet, she ran to the backyard and threw her arms around Yosuke's neck. Thankfully, he was sitting on the porch. "I'm happy to have a big brother and a little brother! I'm glad you're feeling better."

Yosuke blinked, confused. "Little brother? I'm pretty sure I'm older than you are." But no one knew—not even them. Of course, she could mean it in the literal sense of the word, so in that case, she was right.

The two boys glanced to each other, then back to the little girl. She'd adopted both of them, and there was no arguing against it.

"I'm going to get some vegetables from the garden." The little girl dashed into the kitchen. "Daddy said I could pick some today, and my teacher said they're full of good stuff to make you better." She ran to the kitchen to get the pruning scissors.

"Ah, delicious dinner! I can't wait," Yosuke grinned, clutching his clean uniform jacket. "We can go to Junes and pick up extra stuff, like chicken, and noodles, and rice, and Popsicles. Lots of Popsicles."

"Sounds like a good idea. Why don't you stay here and get stuff started?" His friend hooked a couple of shirts to the line.

"No way! I'm going, too."

"You don't know how to steam vegetables? Look up a video, little guy."

"Yes, but... Hey! I know what you're doing and that's not fair." Yosuke shoved his face between a pair of pants and a shirt hanging from the line to glare at the teenager on the other side. "It's a beautiful day, and I feel fine. Plus, you already lost." A victorious smirk creased his impish face. "I'm outside right now, so I might as well stay outside. Hah! I win."

"Doesn't count."

"What?! It counted three days ago," The fox grumbled.

"Three days ago, you couldn't walk up the stairs without help."

"I ran up the stairs this morning."

"You keep losing control over your change skill."

His ears pulled forward. "I meant to do that."

"Oh really. All right. I dare you to hold full Human form for the next hour. If you can do that, we'll go."

“Challenge: accepted.” Yosuke's ears and tail soon disappeared. "This will be a snap." 

Yu draped a towel over the line, frowned in thought at his friend, then suddenly reached through to plant his palm against the other's forehead.

“Huh?” Yosuke blinked at a pulse of warmth melting down to his toes from the point beneath Yu's hand. 

The fox was still slightly warm. This wasn't a normal flu. That infection had begun to destroy Yosuke's soul, so recovering from that may take a little longer. He wasn't over this enough yet to go anywhere. Regardless, he refused to deny his friend the freedom of choice. He fluffed out another towel to hang it up. "I still advise against it."

“Oh, come on! We just made a bet.”

“And I'll honor it, but it's only been a few days.” Yu glanced to Nanako inside the house flipping through the t.v. stations, then cast a serious mien to his animal demon and lowered his voice. “I saw what that infection was capable of. You weren't just sick, Yosuke; you were dying.”

That sobered up the fox quickly. 

“I know patience isn't one of your virtues, but give yourself a little more time.”

He sighed. “Fine. As long as the bet still stands.”

“It stands as long as you can,” Yu went back into a mirthful tone, satisfied his point came across as intended. 

Curses; he used psychology. Yosuke shoved the clothes back in the way so he wouldn't have to look at Yu's dumb face. A low growl left the fox as he snatched a shirt and roughly pinned it to the line. Stupid Yu and his stupid logic. "I know the layout of Junes. ...I'll pass out in the bedding department."

Nanako slipped her shoes on by the front door. Excited, she ran out to the side yard. It was odd for a kid her age, she'd heard, but she liked digging in the dirt and seeing things grow. Her science project had earned the elite title of 1st Place in her class, and she'd beamed with pride at being congratulated for having a green thumb. "I'll be careful with the sheers."

Her reassurance didn't calm his nerves. Yu tossed the bundle of clean clothes at Yosuke to take over. "Nanako, hold on. Let me do that." He hurriedly slipped off his sandals on the porch and ran back up into the house to make sure his little cousin didn't cut herself.

"Hey!" Yosuke shook himself free from the pile of clothes, frowned at his friend for literally dumping this chore on him, but sighed and gave in. First he put him under house arrest, then he threw underwear at him. At least it was clean. A disgruntled snarl accompanied every clothes pin he roughly put to use. Steaming vegetables was for newbies. That was easy. It had to be... He'd look up a 'how-to' video later.

Yu made it as far as the dining room table when his feet suddenly froze in place. He stared straight ahead. The kitchen quickly filled with fog that rushed around him before he could even blink, engulfing the room in a thick white cloud....

* * * *  
In that split second of time, found himself surrounded by the low rumble of an engine, and the motion of a moving vehicle. He had just been in his house a second ago. What the hell was going on here? The fog quickly dissipated, replaced by the crisp, clean interior of a stretch limousine. The décor of the vehicle reflected the tastes of someone of old money. A carafe of what he could only assume was alcohol rested on a shelf with some bottles of liquid all tinted blue, and a few crystal wine glasses. The same shade of velvet coated the interior, and the whole cabin held the fragrance of bamboo ashes.

Directly across from him, slouching behind a sleek, small round table, sat the long-nosed man he'd introduced himself to many years ago. A strikingly beautiful woman sat in the adjacent seat to the left with a thick hard bound book resting on her lap. That long wavy blond hair, those yellow eyes, and that smile –he'd seen her before back when he was a small boy that day the old man came to visit his mother at the shrine on the mountain. She'd been waiting patiently near the stairs. It had been ten years since then, but her beauty remained unchanged, as if the two had been frozen in time.

The old man spoke with the same raspy tone he remembered. Those beady yellow eyes lit up above a wide toothy grin that held back secret knowledge. "Welcome to the Velvet Room. It's been a long time since last we met."

"Who are you? Where am I?" Yu breathed, though felt like he didn't need to move his mouth to speak. Was this all in his head?

"I am Igor, and this is my assistant, Margaret." The old man steepled his fingers beneath his nose and grinned. "This place exists between your waking world and the world of your yokai."

"Am I asleep?"

"You are conscious, but not in the way you are familiar with. We've simply summoned you here. I've been watching your progress closely over the course of your life, curious to see what you would do with the choices that arose before you. I must say I am impressed at how much you've accomplished."

So this was a stalker old timer who chased younger women. He must be a major fan of his mother. She had her share of overzealous fans, so he'd learned that dealing with that came with the territory of being her son. Still, to say the old man followed him his entire life... No, that didn't sound creepy at all. "You've been watching me? Why?"

"We've been expecting you for quite a long time. You are one of the few chosen who are allowed to enter this room. The reason is complicated. Until now, our influence in your path has been minimal."

His mother said this stranger would look in on them twice a year, hold a brief pleasant conversation, then leave.

Margaret smoothly opened the book. A cerulean light bled from pages that harbored moving photographs. They were memories of his life. The same card he'd become accustomed to seeing in the t.v world to call Izanagi materialized from that light to slowly rotate unaided above the book. "You may have wondered why you are able to summon more than one Persona." A quick knowing 'hm' escaped her. "You posses the power of the Wild Card. The number 'zero' is amazing in its infinite potential. It can either be empty, or it can hold everything." She turned the page to show an image of the cat-demon in the train car looking up at him from his point of view.

"Kurumi," he whispered.

Margaret 'pulled' her card up from the page. It was very transparent, and its light flickered. "You carry a great power nurtured by the bonds you've been creating. Even those that are short-lived are precious to you. This one remains in your heart because of what you learned from her. It's because of the nature of this bond that we've thought it prudent to issue you a warning."

"A warning for what?"

Igor swept his hand across the air. A bow of cards spawned from nothingness arched in mid air, then lay in various positions on the small table in front of the old man. He studied them with a scrupulous eye. "It seems you have a difficult and trying time ahead of you. You will soon face a great tragedy that you will be helpless to prevent. If you do not allow a change to occur within yourself and remain, all that you've labored so intensely for will be lost. Your journey will end prematurely."

As if they hadn't already gone through enough, there was more? That old man excelled at turning a simple phrase into a foreboding threat.

"One must remember that occasionally stepping aside to let others take the reigns can be beneficial. You can learn from observing their lessons. For now, strengthen the bonds you have made. Rest your body and spirit, and enjoy your time with your friends. It is well earned." Igor waited patiently for the cards to fade out, and for his assistant to close the compendium. "Until we meet again."

* * * *  
"Yu?" Yosuke shook his shoulder. 

The fog was gone, as was the old man and the limousine. He was back in his living room listening to the television's commercials fill the air, and the clock tick by another minute. Hardly any time had passed, certainly not enough for a conversation of that length and detail to occur. Everything was completely normal. "Huh?"

"You spaced out for a second."

"..." Maybe he'd just imagined it. It wasn't as easy to explain as the Midnight Channel, or the world within it, because those were places others had seen. The Velvet Room wasn't someplace anyone else could access if it was even real. "Right. Sorry," he tried to recover. Then the reason why he'd hurried into the house to begin with struck him like a slap to the face. "Eh... Nanako!" Pushing aside the weird moment, he ran outside, putting his sandals back on as he hopped into the garden.

Well, that was odd. Yosuke knew Yu could be kind of spacey, but that was the longest he'd been 'out of it.' Maybe he'd caught another cold.  
Yosuke dropped heavily to the floor on his back and stared at the dark wood ceiling. So what if Yu had told him to stay here? He was an independent fox. If he wanted to go out, he would go out. He was a member of Inaba's community, too. The streets should be his open playground.

"Achoo! Yech." He pulled his nappy hand back, sniffled, and glanced to the box of tissues too far away on the low table. Getting to it meant moving, and he'd been still for more than ten seconds. Moving was overrated. Why get up when you can slide? He scooted across the floor on his back, and reached up to nudge the tissue box to the edge of the table. He bit his lip, stretching. Almost...there...

The television everyone ignored played the hyper dramatic music of their 'breaking news' jingle. "Tragedy struck earlier today when another body was found in the south eastern residential area of Inaba this morning around 8am. It was discovered hanging upsidedown from a telephone pole in an identical manner to the grim murders of Myumi Yamano and Saki Konishi."

"What?!" Yosuke smacked his head against the underside of the table. It rattled the box of tissues to the floor. "Ow." He groaned, scooted out, grabbed a tissue in the accidental victory, and knelt in front of the t.v.

"Police are on the scene, and an investigation is underway. The victim this time is male, leading investigators away from their original idea that the murderer only targeted women."

Yosuke planted both hands against the sides of the t.v, staring wide eyed at the picture the media displayed. "Ah crap. No, no no no no no no no no..." He quickly scrambled to his feet and bolted across the room. "Yu!" He braced his hands against the door frame to keep from tumbling outside. "Dude, get in here! Hurry!"

Curious, he moved inside with Nanako on his heels. His jaw hit the floor as soon as he saw the news report. The area roped off by yellow police tape showed a two storied house he recognized from all his walks home. It was two streets north from their house, and it was absolutely way too close for comfort.

"Police have identified the body as 44-year-old Kinshiro Morooka; a teacher at Yasogami High School."

"King Moron?" Yosuke blinked in shock. "No way..."

The video switched to Ryotaro Dojima trying to control the cameraman's access to the scene while his partner, Tohru Adachi, spoke with one of the forensics team in the background.

"Hey, I said no cameras beyond the line." Dojima's serious scowl spoke volumes about his level of irritation with the press. "Get what you can from here, but this is a crime scene. Stay back until we've cleared the area."

Nanako stared at her father on the screen and her shoulders slumped. A new murder meant even more nights where he would be home late. She clutched her big brother's hand.

"Is this the same murderer who killed Saki and Miss Yamano?" The reporter on scene threw the question.  
Dojima refused to answer. Instead, he directed the disposal team who had just finished removing the body from its morbid display, and covered the victim's head with a sheet.

"That's speculation at this point." The camera hastily turned its attention to the new voice. Naoto set her cool, dagger stare on the lens. "There isn't enough evidence to prove this act was committed by the same suspect."

The reporter flew through each question. "Did this victim have any connections with the other two murders?"

"We know Miss Konishi had been in his class her 2nd year. The other is inconclusive."

"Is it true that the victim was seen having a drunken argument outside a bar with the bartender the night before?"

"Witnesses reported a dispute, but no aggressive action ensued by either party. It is too soon to determine whether there is a correlation between the victim's death and that incident. Both could simply be isolated." She coughed into her sleeve.

"Are you sick?"

"It's just a cold. Now please let Detective Dojima and his team do their work."

Before the network cut back to the news anchor at the desk, Yu and Yosuke caught sight of Kanji standing off with a small crowd of curious on-lookers. He was watching her and the scene like a hawk –not because of the body, but to make sure she didn't show weakness from her illness. He knew she couldn't trust her own strength to hold out, but knowing her, she'd have come to the scene even if she had to crawl.

Yu exhaled heavily. Maybe that odd dream of his wasn't a dream after all. The long-nosed man did mention there would be a tragedy he'd be unable to prevent.

“I'd hoped he'd realized what he'd done and given up.” Yosuke's solemn tone held no hint of sarcasm or a joke. He was serious. "Looks like he's back in the game," 

Yu had wanted the same, but sadly he feared they were wrong. "And so are we." Real world evidence or not, Mitsuo's bonded had to be stopped. Due to their unique knowledge and abilities, he was sure they were the only ones who could do it.

The house bore an uncomfortable, thick silence broken only by the fan and the reporters moving on to other less macabre stories.  
Nanako picked up the remote to turn off the television set. "Daddy's going to be late again."

The day couldn't be ruined, not when his little cousin was so excited about cooking up their home grown food. "Maybe your dad will be home at a normal time. We can still make dinner, and even if he's late, he can heat it up."

A glint of hope lit in her eyes.

"I'll go to Junes and get what we need. Can I trust you to help Yosuke prepare the vegetables?" Though the fox was still sick, he'd proven himself to be handy with small blades. Ever since that incident a few months back when the fox-boy had accidentally found a katana while exploring the Hanamura's hall closet, Yu made it a point to teach the young animal demon not to be afraid of blades. He'd taught him how to handle a regular kitchen knife to keep that fear from holding any power. It worked.

His words brought Nanako's little smile back to life. "Uh huh! I'll bring in the stuff we just picked. It'll be yummy."

The thought of the simple trip to the store worked to suppress his worry. Perhaps he should head the old man's advice and let his uncle and the Inaba police department handle this case... for a while, at least. There was nothing he could do now except go over whatever information Naoto would uncover. He'd call Rise, Yukiko, and Kanji on the way for a meeting.

A few quick, barely restrained staccato breaths grabbed his curiosity. Yosuke pinched his nose as he tried desperately to hold back a sneeze. The battle was lost before it even started.

"Ah... Ah... ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO!"

It was the third sneeze that did it. The rush of power swirled around him, and a second later, the tissue he'd been holding floated down over his head. Yosuke pulled the now large, soft cloth away in both hands and blew his nose into it. He looked down at the over-sized woven pattern of the tatami mat, then straight up at the bare-foot giant next to him. Dammit! He'd lost the bet for blessed freedom. "Awe, man! This is beyond 'not fair!' I demand a do-over!"

“Sorry, little guy. A bet's a bet.” Yu glanced down to the small fox-boy next to his foot. He would never say 'I told you so' out loud, but it was implied in the motion. At lease his friend had the foresight to take the clothing with him in the transformation. Though seemingly minor to anyone else, that detail deflated any victory he felt in winning the bet. "Those were my favorite pajamas."

Yosuke's response was a discontented, sinus-clogged sniffle. 

* * * *  
 _Later that day at Cafe Jun..._

"What reason would Mitsuo's bonded want with King Moron?" Yukiko tapped her pen against the notepad she'd brought from home to jot down any notes for the investigation. She and her four companions occupied a booth by the front window at Cafe Jun. Kanji had brought Naoto here to rest and wait for the others to show up for Yu's impromptu meeting.

"Yeah, what kind of animal demon would he become? And, really... why?" Rise sat across from her and took a bite from a toasted bagel.

"It doesn't make any sense." Naoto stirred a cup of coffee across from Kanji. "The people she had...chosen...were all women, and age didn't seem to be a factor. Miss Yamano was the oldest in her early 30's, but that's still considered healthy and able-bodied. Mr. Morooka had a bad back, a fowl temper, and a drinking problem."

Yukiko stared at her tea. "He was very bitter. No one really liked him."

"Yeah," Rise said. "He was kind of a jerk to everyone."

"That guy was a major asshole," Kanji added quietly.

Yu stared at the toast he'd buttered, but left untouched. "Still, no one deserves to die like that."

A murmur of guilty agreement followed. It was bad form to speak ill of the dead, and Yu was right. Mr. Morooka likely went through a horrible ordeal before his death. Suddenly, everyone felt bad for what they'd thought about the cantankerous teacher.

Yu spoke up to nudge the conversation away from their personal mental floggings. "If Mitsuo got sick too, he wouldn't be strong enough to hang a body from a telephone pole."

"Maybe he finally gave up." Rise offered. "Or if he really did get sick, then whoever's been behind his actions has been taking care of him."

"So, we should look for a girl who's overly tired and worn out." Kanji said.

"That would be half the population of Inaba," Yukiko answered dryly. "Good luck with that." Her eyes lit up. "Wait, I just remembered something." Everyone turned their attention toward her. "When Yu was caught in that beam, he deflected it back to its source through his Persona. Maybe it destroyed the machine. They could be rebuilding it and that's why no one's gone missing since he kidnapped me."

"You think it's someone else?" Kanji asked. "a copycat killer?"

"I find that phrase to be distasteful, but it is possible." Naoto set the stirring spoon down on a napkin to cover a bad cough.

"Hey, you should go home before you pass out or something worse."

There was no fighting him so she resigned unhappily to the idea. The thought of rest still sounded pleasant. "Ok, but I need to visit Daidara's first, then the hospital."

"Why Daidara's?" Yukiko asked.

"That's that odd fireworks and antique store here, right?" Yu asked.

"Yes," she brushed a hair from her face. "but the man that owns it is a little on the...eccentric side. And he's got this X shaped scar on his face."

"Eccentric, my butt," Rise bit into the bagel and chewed. "He's flat out crazy."

Yu glanced to her and stated smoothly, "Just like we're crazy for traveling to the t.v world to fight shadows using elements of our souls called Personas, along side animal demons that aren't supposed to exist?"

Rise set the food down. "We're a different kind of crazy. Our 'crazy' makes sense."

Naoto looked up at her circle of friends. "Mr. Morooka is the first victim since Saki Konishi, and the public doesn't know about Yukiko being spirited away, but my instinct tells me this is important." She dug out a photo from her jacket pocket and set it on the table. It was the same from the report she'd been scouring over while recovering at the Dojima home. "The store was hit a few days ago. Only a few herbs were taken, and some other artifacts, but no money went missing from the register. If Mitsuo ran into Teddie at the festival, he likely caught the Hollow infection. His bonded may have stolen these items to care for him."

Rise leaned forward for a closer look. "Well, we know it's a girl, but it's hard to tell who it is in this picture. This just shows them from the top. And she's wearing a hood, so that doesn't help us at all."

"I can decipher more from the scene itself." She sneezed, inhaled, and held her breath to keep her change skill from slipping. Her eyes scrunched shut as all the muscles in her body tensed at the effort. Not in public...she couldn't return to animal demon form in front of everyone in the cafe. She had to win the fight this infection continued to wage against her will power.

A familiar warmth covered her hand, and suddenly the burden of that fight lightened. She opened her eyes. Kanji had rested his hand over hers. "Kanji...?"

Yukiko and Yu knew exactly what he was doing, but leave it to Rise to take it 3 steps the wrong way.

"Oh," the pig-tailed girl cooed with a smile. "That's so cute."

Both Kanji and Naoto snapped toward her, speaking at the same time. "It's not like that, and you know it!" They looked to each other, stunned at the synchronized retort, and leaned back against their respective seats. Sheep looked less sheepish than those two.

Rise continue to beam in her own private world. "It's so perfect, though: The hardened bad-boy, and the cat detective that teaches him how to open up his heart. It's a great story that would make an even better song. I wanna write it!"

"You really are a perfect fit to be Teddie's bonded," Yukiko stated. "That soliloquy proves it."

"Hey! Just because I happen to be a hopeless romantic. Maybe that bear will pick up some of my poetic sense and drop the annoying puns."

Exasperated, Naoto left the table once she'd regained full control. The sooner they broke this uncomfortable line of conversation, the better. "I'll be at Daidara's when you're done building your completely inappropriate fantasy ship." She didn't let the hanging door bell chime hit her on the way out.

The others paid for their snacks, and left the awkward moment at the table.

They met up with the short detective a few minutes later down the street in the old antiques shop. It smelled like every century displayed on the shelves. A layer of musk drifted through the atmosphere. Anything from old books to kabuki masks, a samurai suit of armor near a collection of old weaponry –and new from what Yu could tell—, Fireworks, and unidentified kitchy trinkets cluttered up the interior. The store looked bigger on the inside, even though it had one front window, and squeezed in between an ally way and a convenience store. Master Daidara was a collector, blacksmith, and fireworks maker very passionate about his work.

Yu had meant to come in here to find polish for his katana, but never got around to it. Now that he'd used it in actual battle for the first time, he needed to keep it clean or his mother would kill him. Though getting on Daidara's bad side was something to avoid, she commanded a wrath he had no desire to evoke.

Naoto engaged the hardened store owner about the crime. He explained that a mortar and pestle from the 18th century went missing, along with a few bottles of rare herbs, a noh mask from the Tokugawa Shogunate -17th century, and a black stone from a gem collection he kept in a locked glass cabinet.

Naoto scratched down notes on a slim yellow notepad in her jacket pocket and listened carefully. All of the items held historical value, and were worth a decent amount of money. What held her curiosity most was the glass case. She peered closely at the oval-shaped area void of dust that once surrounded the stone. The rest of the items around it were clean. The lock remained intact, free of any tampering, and the entire case didn't show any signs of forced entry. "The key for this cabinet. Do you still have it?"

"Yes." He withdrew the brass item from his pocket. "That's what confuses me the most. These are gems reputed to contain power for those that know how to use it. The one that was stolen gave me such a bad vibe that I wouldn't even move it to clean it."

Naoto's ears twitched beneath her cap. How could someone remove an item that was never touched –even for a cleaning—and not damage the case? 

Yu knew of only one item matching that description: a shadow shard. But who brought it over to their world, and how would Mitsuo's bonded know that it would heal the dog demon? “Where did you get that black stone from?” he asked.

Master Daidara stroked his beard. “A young man sold it to me two years ago. He needed some money since he'd just moved here. It wasn't worth much, but I could tell it was rare.”

“Do you know his name?” 

The old smith shook his head. “Sorry.” 

Naoto moved to the middle of the room and stared at the picture in her hand. "Judging by the placement of these fireworks, and those masks, the person in this photo has to be..." She pulled a confused Rise over to stand in the same place, "this tall."

"Huh? What?! I didn't do it!"

"I'm using you for height reference." Naoto rolled her eyes, but continued her investigation. "She was standing three paces away from this armor, so she was about the same size as you. We can now narrow down our suspects to women who are 5'1, weigh about 100 pounds, and are," she glanced at the photo, back to Rise, and to the photo again. "not very well endowed."

A grin crossed Yu's face. "Guess that really leaves her out."

"Yu!" She folded her arms. "Rude." Yet she couldn't hide a blush, or a mumbled, 'thanks.'

Naoto bowed to Master Daidara. "Thank you. I think I've got all I need for now. If I have any more questions, I'll come back."

He returned the bow, and also to her friends as they left—after selling some polish to the silver-haired kid. He accepted the boy's cell phone number, and agreed to call him if he saw the seller of the Shadow Shard again.

Naoto faced the group outside on the sidewalk. "I need to go to the hospital to get a clear look at the body. Hopefully my mother can pull some strings to get me in. If not, I can obtain a forensics report. If there are any abnormalities on Mr. Morooka-"

Rise grimaced, knowing what she meant. The thought made her shudder.

Naoto continued, "-we'll know it's our guy. If not, then we have a completely new problem on our hands." She bowed lightly to them, and started walking up the street.

Kanji wanted to give her a good five minute head start. She'd be muttering theories to herself the entire way to the hospital probably forgetting he was even there. He'd be in her way as it was, and people might start talking about seeing them together so much. The rumors-holding no merit-could hurt her career as a detective. Even so, she was his animal-demon and he wanted nothing more than to be by her side listening to her rattle off stuff he couldn't understand.

Yu decided now was as good a time as any to blurt out the idea that spun in his head since the Velvet Room experience—or hallucination. That old man offered up good advice even if it wasn't real. "Can I ask you guys something?"

"Sure," Rise said.

"Yeah, what is it?" Yukiko asked.

"Shoot." Kanji folded his arms.

"I think we should all do something on Thursday to get our minds off of everything before school starts."

"Like what?" Yukiko asked.

"Something that gets us out of town for a little while."

Rise stretched her arms over her head. "We have been through a lot. All of us could use a break. Plus, all of the animal demons besides Naoto have been stuck inside recovering from that horrifying illness."

The taller girl snapped her fingers. "What about a picnic? There's a pond about a mile out of town to the south. Chie found it when we were kids. We could have a picnic there."

Rise gasped playfully and clapped her hands together. "That's a great idea! We can each make something and ride our bikes there. Oo, now I can't wait." She hopped up and down.

Kanji scratched his chin. "I don't know, man. Naoto won't want to leave this case alone considering what happened today."

This was tricky: how to get the detective prince away from the cat-nip that was their current murder case. Yu thought on it for a moment, and decided to use the same reasoning he held for Yosuke. "What if you tell her getting out of the house and getting some sunshine will refresh her mind so she could focus on the case."

"Devious," Yukiko smiled a little. "I like it. I think I'll use the same tactic on Chie's parents... er... leaving the case out of it, of course. Maybe substituting it for that kung-fu tournament she has in Okina City in a few weeks."

"You've got a point about getting away from it all," Kanji agreed. "No promises she'll be convinced. But if I get scratched, I'm blaming you." He headed off up the street toward the hospital to meet up with the cat demon and explain the plan for Thursday. With hope, she would see it as beneficial instead of hindering her involvement in the case.

Yu, Rise and Yukiko moved through town toward Junes to get ingredients for the picnic. Because he was stuck with two of the three worst cooks in Inaba, he kept a razor-sharp eye on everything they put into the basket, and put back anything that screamed 'this will make your day a living hell if you use it.' He would make everything. All they had to do was bring a couple of blankets, utensils, and plates. He texted a quick 'help me!' to Kanji, who agreed to come over the next day to assist with the preparations.

A picnic. Finally, a normal summer break activity that didn't involve shadows, Mitsuo, or the t.v. World. He just wanted to spend time with his friends. He hoped Thursday would be a day to remember. Like the long-nosed man said; they earned it.


	36. 36th Scent: A Real Summer Vacation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chie takes her friends to a secluded pond in a bamboo forest to relax. Aika's scooter crashes, so Yu helps her back to town.

36th SCENT: A REAL SUMMER VACATION

_August 25th. Early on a breezy Thursday morning..._

The threat of a lengthened heat wave lost all power by the end of Wednesday. Thursday cooled down enough to ensure their trip to the pond wouldn't be inundated by sweltering temperatures.

Kanji tightened a bungee cord over a small, yellow plastic cooler set on the back rack of his black town bike. He and his friend split the difference yesterday after he'd gone to the Dojima home to bail Yu out of the daunting task of making lunches for eight people. Yosuke helped, though went back to the Hanamura's home later on to assure his parents that he was all right, and get permission to go on this picnic. Once the meals were finished, they each agreed to carry half so the load wouldn't be too daunting for a single bicycle. As for the girls, well, they were given strict instructions to bring the blankets, plates, games, and utensils, and if they felt the uncontrollable urge to bring something edible, it needed to be pre-packaged and unopened from Junes. No tampering or mixing to make it 'better.'

He stretched the hook of the bungee around the metal rack as Naoto walked across the street, her hands in her pockets, and wearing an expression that read more irritation than excitement about the day.

"My mother told me take the day off." She scowled.

"Really? Cool. Glad you could make it." There was no way in hell he'd tell her he'd gone to speak to the chief of police about it. As far as Naoto was concerned, it was her parents' idea.

"There's a serial murder case going on. I can't take a vacation right now."

"Most people would be happy for the break." He glanced to her, knowing her tail would be cutting sharp flicks through the air if she were allowed to let it show. "You look like someone took away your favorite toy."

She thought of her stuffed dragon back in her room at home, and what she would do to someone stupid enough to make off with it.

Another bungee cord was added to the three around the ice chest. "She probably thinks you're not well enough yet to give this case your full attention."

"And if someone else is kidnapped while we're gone?"

Kanji checked the cords for security. "Then you'll be strong enough to go rescue them."

"It doesn't matter how sick I am. If we don't find solid evidence against Mitsuo and locate his Bonded, there will be more kidnappings, and more murders. Justice doesn't go on picnics."

"Look," he folded his arms. "I didn't get my ass kicked by the Reaper just so you could wear yourself out, lose control, and get carted off to a lab somewhere so nerds in white coats could poke you with needles and study the shit outa you." His stare speared the words through to her core. "I'm not going to lose you to a bunch of pocket protector brown-nosing geeks.” He exhaled. “You were close to the edge, Naoto. That Hollow infection was eating your soul. We saw what happened to a cat demon who didn't survive in that other world. If that had been you, I-" He clamped his mouth shut. For the brief moment he'd been in that train car, he hadn't seen the deathly ill cat demon lying on that bed. He'd seen Naoto, and what would happen to her if they'd failed.

Words flew from her mind, tearing away any retort to the contrary. She bit her lip. He didn't need to finish that sentence, because she already knew what he would say. It warmed the grumpy chill she'd harbored all morning.

Kanji finished his inspection of the bungee cords and gave her his full attention. "Normal people take a good couple of weeks to get over the flu. Give yourself time, and have fun today. Go back to the case tomorrow."

She hesitated to answer. Her desire to ignore her parents' orders, and the need to remain with her classmate created a tearing friction within her.

He could sense her conflict. "You should know some R &R will clear your head." He chuckled. "Sheesh. For someone with a genius IQ, you can be pretty stupid."

That slight mirth crushed against her growl of disdain. She folded her arms, unable to fight his logic. "Fine. Even so, I'm afraid I can't join you today."

"What, you can't ride a bike?"

A long pause lived between them before she begrudgingly shook her head.

"Hm. Wait here." He moved back to rummage around in the garage, then returned with a wire rim basket and a yellow towel. He used the towel to line the inside, then secured the basket to the front of the bike. It was an older black wire receptacle, but kept in good condition. "Prime front row seating."

Naoto's eyes widened. "Y-you're kidding me, right? Is that even safe?"

"It's all we've got. You've never been on a picnic, and I ain't about to let you miss this one."

She stepped back, eyeing the contraption as though it had fangs that dripped poison. "I don't know. It doesn't look stable..."

Kanji sighed. "It's fine. You comin' or not?"

Naoto grumbled her worries, but glanced around and quickly shrank down to her 12" tall native cat form. Kanji picked up her and placed her in the basket. The towel protected her feet from the metal cage. Another bungee cord secured the towel around the outside of the basket and held it to the handlebars so she wouldn't be harmed if the bike bounced around. She sat cross-legged and gripped the cloth to either side as she took in her new surroundings. "This should have seat belts."

Kanji straddled the bike seat, planted his right foot on a pedal and both hands on the bars. "You gotta trust me."

"I do trust you. I just don't trust..." She leaned over the edge to read the name on the basket badge, "this 'Schwinn' person."

He ruffled her ears, settling her back down to sit. "Hold on, scaredy cat." He balanced the bike and took off down the street, chuckling at Naoto's loud mew of surprise.

* * * *  
Yosuke casually opened the front door of the Dojima home without knocking. Ryotaro blocked his path.

The older man exhaled. "Yosuke. Hm." He moved back to the living room. "He's out back by the shed."

"Uh... Thank you. You're not at the station today?" He asked.

"Nah, I'm on call."

Nanako interrupted before her father could say much more. "Daddy's taking me to the park! Big bro made extra sandwiches last night, so daddy said we could eat them at the playground!" She giggled, bouncing around the room. "I can't wait! Can we go yet, daddy? Please?"

"In a minute, Nanako." Ryotaro smirked. "She wanted to go on this trip with you guys, but I told her she was too little, so this is my way of making it up to her."

"I see." Yosuke scooped her up as she ran by and grinned as she squealed. "Maybe next time, ok, Nanako?"

"Uh huh!" He put her down. "Ok. You have to pinky promise." She held up her right hand, pinky out.

Yosuke wrapped his around hers. "Promise."

Satisfied that a new unbreakable oath was now in place, she scampered to the back door and leaned out without stepping onto the porch. “Big bro!”

Yosuke moved around the side of the house to the back.

Though the master of the house had accepted the fox-boy—or so he believed—he still made Yosuke nervous –and not just because he had a tendency to use that oversized hamster ball as punishment. Ryotaro was the alpha male of the house.

He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, trying to act aloof. "Dude, how long are you going to take?"

"One second," came a voice from the open shed.

"The picnic is today!" 'Aloof' failed, as the fox couldn't keep in his excitement any longer. He ran to the shed door. "It's today! Yes! I've never been on a picnic. What is that anyway?"

Yu rolled out his uncle's dark green, old fashioned town bicycle and kicked down the stand. The gear shifts were from the 1970's when the manufacturer thought putting them on the lower frame in front of the handlebars was a good idea. This old beast hadn't been used in years, so it needed a good cleaning. "It's where people go to have lunch in a park or out in nature somewhere to get away from everything."

Yosuke watched him air up the tires and oil up the chain. "How are we supposed to get there on that? There's only room for one person."

Yu glanced around, wiping off his hands on a rag. "You didn't bring yours?" He asked, confused.

"Well, no," He scratched the back of his head. "See...it was...busted, yeah...and I... well..." He sighed, resigning to the grim truth. "I crashed into a trash can yesterday when I tried to ride it. I ain't getting' back on that thing." The day was against him already, and it wasn't even noon. "Guess you'll just have to go and tell me what it's like." He dropped in a petulant whine cross-legged to the grass. "Awe man! This sucks!"

Yu glanced to the bike, then to him. They didn't have another ride, and no way to keep up with the group. His half of the picnic lunch would take up the entire rack on the back of the bicycle, and he didn't have a front basket. He couldn't leave the fox-demon behind, not when he was so excited about the trip. Maybe, if he could give his friend a brief lesson on bike riding, he could jog along side. The sudden image of a panicked Yosuke speeding off in uncontrolled wobbles down the hill, careening into someone's yard and sending the basket lunch flying through the air discouraged that bad idea.

Nanako overheard the conversation, and worried her chin in thought with the same concern. She didn't want the fox to miss out on picnic fun either. Her face suddenly lit up. "Aha! I got an idea," she began, to get the attention of the two boys. "I saw it once on t.v. And it would be so cute if you could do it!"

The two boys looked to each other –curious—then back. "Shoot," Yu shrugged. What did they have to lose?

Nanako giggled in glee at her ingenious problem-solving, and knew she'd be the hero of the day. Of course, if her two brothers went along with it, she would need to take a picture before they left; which she did.

* * * *  
About ten minutes later after the bicycle was tuned up, and Nanako's idea implemented, Yu rolled down the street on the bike. He had to work to balance the antique, but the skills to ride returned quickly to his muscle memory. Soon, he was soaring through Inaba toward the Satonaka Dojo. They'd all agreed to meet there since it was closest to their destination, and Chie's parents wanted to meet everyone before letting their daughter go out. Since she was still recovering, it was natural that they would be a little more protective.

"This is the best idea ever!" Yosuke's high-pitched buoyant voice carried the sounds of his native language on the wind. Yu glanced down to the tiny fox zipped up against his chest in his dark gray sweater. He had to admit that he wouldn't have thought of this on his own, but once his little cousin mentioned it was how someone had carried a puppy home to free up their arms, it suddenly seemed plausible. The fox-demon didn't weigh much in his natural form, so there wasn't a real weight difference to compensate for, and he was small enough that this would work without inhibiting Yu's movements. He'd tucked in the bottom of his sweater to his jeans, zipped up the fox, and taken off.

Yosuke's hands rested on the fabric folds over the zipper. He looked out at the Samegawa river as they crossed the bridge to the other side of town. Not only was he warm and cozy, but he had a great view of the world rushing by. He'd bundled up the cloth beneath his feet for support and enjoyed the ride. He'd never been able to travel outside as himself before, so seeing the world as it truly existed was amazing. “So this is what your world really looks like.” He grinned. “It's huge!” Everything was far more vast than he was accustomed to, since he'd come to know Inaba from a Human's perspective. He ducked down behind the fabric to hide his face from a passing car on instinct. Their speed made it hard for anyone to tell that he wasn't just an animal. The wind in his ears felt amazing. He switched back to his language in order to clearly express how much he wanted to go bike riding like this again. Not that he couldn't say it in his second language, but he felt those phonetics were lacking in strength for what he wanted to convey.

Yu pulled up outside the dojo to find everyone else waiting for him. Rise had Teddie bundled up in a tan wicker basket on top of a tightly folded blanket on the front of her pink cruiser bicycle, Yukiko stood next to her apple-red town bike, Chie's white and green mountain bike complimented hers, and both girls carried backpacks bulging with plates, utensils, and games, and of course, Kanji was there with Naoto.

"It's about time you got here," Chie planted her hand on her hip. "I was about to send out a search party."

Rise squealed when she saw them enter the dojo's courtyard. "Oh my gosh, that is so cute!" She snapped a picture with her phone, as did a few others.

Yu sighed. He should should have seen this coming. "We ran out of options."

Chie straddled her bicycle. "I'm just happy to get out of the house for once. C'mon, let's go before my mom changes her mind. I have to be back before dark, or my dad's going to have a serious break down."

Yu gestured to the two girls who knew where they were going to lead the way, and followed. The group pedaled along the road out of town.

Teddie's hands clasped the basket's weather treated weave and gawked in joyful amazement at the scenery. "This is bear-illiant idea, Rise! I love bicycling! And picnics! I can 'bearly bear' the excitement! The bright summer's day pouring over us, the rays of sunlight glinting off a lunchtime feast, and the thought of these bathing beauties splashing in crystal blue water make my heart soar. It's going to be a perfect day."

Rise groaned. "Do me a favor and go easy on the bear puns."

The tiny blond boy's blue ears twitched as he blinked back at her, completely clueless. "What bear puns?"

Naoto kept a death grip on the rim of the basket, and kept telling her driver to watch out for every pot hole they came across. "Look out for that hole in the road! Watch the branch! Ah! You almost hit a huge rock! Can't you balance on this thing?"

"Hey, Stop basket driving and just enjoy the stupid scenery." Kanji huffed, though softened the next sentence a bit. "Would you relax and trust me already? Sheesh."

She settled down, clutching the towel and let out a long breath. "Relax and trust him," she repeated to herself. Sure, she could do that. She glanced to the right, left, then up at the sky. Everything whizzed by her, and she started to feel contentment creep past her fear of a bicycle accident. It really was a beautiful day.

Chie rode side by side with her best friend. "This was a great idea, Yukiko! We haven't been out riding like this in ages."

"I thought it was time for a change." Yukiko smiled. "Are you feeling ok riding this far?"

"For sure. I'm great!" Chie pulled ahead with exuberance. "Try to keep up!"

"Wait up!" Yukiko sped up to catch her, and ended up passing her down a hill. She let a spark of competitiveness burn longer than she'd normally allow. Chie always helped her feel like she could push her personal limits. "Last one there has to eat a bug!"

The short dog demon's eyes widened in horror. "A bug?!" She may as well have just said, 'go vegan.' "No way am I gonna be last!"

"Onward!" Yosuke grinned in pure love of the wind in his ears as the girls flew by. "Faster! Faster! We gotta catch up!"

“Little guy.” Yu worked to get the bike up a hill. "How about you pedal?"

By the time they rode down the other side, Yosuke got his wish."Woooooohoooo!" he cheered as they flew down into a nearby valley.

Yu skid to a stop at the base of the hill, happy for the break so he could catch his breath and let his heart calm down. It had been far too long since he'd last ridden a bicycle. He recovered quickly, and stared slightly slack-jawed at the mouth of a shaded path marking the next leg of their trip. "A bamboo forest," he muttered.

Yosuke blinked straight up at the towering slim giants in awe. "Whoa..." He'd never seen anything like it. The forest felt alive. It stretched on in a perfect straight wall of green down the road around a corner out of sight. The pathway greeted them like an entrance to another world. He leaned back against his Human. At first, he wasn't sure if he wanted to go in there. Who knew what creatures thrived in this secluded secret place. But as Yu dismounted the bike to walk in with the others, he didn't have a choice. He grinned, gawking at the scenery. He felt excited and nervous as he pulled the zipper up slightly, but safe.

Yu walked his bike along the slim path with the others. He noticed Naoto and Teddie stayed in their baskets, but they were leaning forward in curiosity. His fox was doing the same thing. 

It was incredibly peaceful. No matter how hard he strained to listen, not one sound of civilization met them here. Occasionally, the wind would carry the hollow tones of bamboo knocking together high above them. They were truly in the middle of nowhere, and it existed a mere 2 miles out of town.

He stopped when they finally cleared the trees, and stared. If the entrance to the bamboo forest was the portal, this was the other world.  
He set the fox-boy on the ground so Yosuke could return to his human height, and wasn't surprised that all four yokai let their ears and tails remain visible.

Yukiko and Chie were already there setting down blankets, with their bikes standing off nearby.

"Wow! It's so beautiful here." Rise pushed her bike past Yu in awe at the scene around her.

A small creek trickled into a pool of clear azure water, keeping the surface moving just enough to hinder any mosquitoes from calling this 'home.' The bamboo forest continued off into the distance on the other side, and few rocks pock marked the edge of the pond to create small inlets of their own. The stones were placed close enough to hop from one to the other. The area the girls chose to settle down in was rich with thick, soft green grass, edged by brush a little further down. It was an amalgamation of simple, natural beauty.

"This place is kinda in the boonies," Kanji removed the picnic feast from his bicycle. "How'd you even know about it?"

Chie relished at being the keeper of such a secret. "It belongs to Mr. Fujiyama. My father had him as a student for a long time. He said me and my friends were welcome here whenever we wanted. It's been forever, but I remember the bamboo forest goes on for a long way into the hills. He uses this as a training ground -said it was for meditation and maneuvering or something. I think he's a landscape designer, too. I remember, because he did a ton of work on our place in exchange for lessons. I was never happier to not have to do yard work." Her father had a skill in exchanging lessons for favors. If he needed plumbing done that he couldn't do himself, one of the local plumber's sons studied here, so he'd bargain the work to wave the next months training fee. Consequently, he saved money and had various things taken care of at no charge but his own skill.

Naoto had returned to human size when they'd entered the forest. The area was indeed breathtaking, untouched by humanity, but she frowned at the main attraction garnering all the attention. "Why does everything we do have to be near water?"

She gasped as a rush of air swept past her, blowing her cap from her head. She reached for it just as Yosuke ran by, throwing his shirt carelessly aside. He was already in his swimming trunks. "Yeah haha!" A loud splash followed, as did a yelping, "Holy crap, that's cold!"

The air around her suddenly chilled as Teddie rushed by, also tossing his clothes away. Both boys left a trail of clothing. Those two crazy idiots may have been prepared for a swim, but she was keeping her feet on dry land.

Teddie burst to the surface and shook water from his hair. "Ah, this is the life." He laid on his back to float.

"Incoming!" Chie ran for the water with an inner-tube in hand and leaped in from one of the rocks. The cold water prickled her skin.

As the three young animal demons played, Yu helped Yukiko set out lunch, and Kanji dug a volleyball from Chie's backpack. Thankfully, she'd brought a few things to keep them entertained. He tossed it to Naoto, who had to drop her book to catch it.

Surprised, she snapped at him. "Kanji! What's the meaning of this?"

"You ever played volleyball?"

"What?"

"Hit it back to me, like this." He mimicked a serve motion.

Naoto stood, remembered the motion, and tried to return the ball. It fell short. Disbelief flooded through her. How could she miss something so simple? That wouldn't do. She ran over to pick up the ball and ran back, trying it once more. It hit the grass short of his feet. She growled. Now it was personal. The ball saw three more weak failings before mastering this became the cat's full world. She held the mocking ball in her right palm, glaring at it. Calculations flew through her mind. She just needed more power, and if she adjusted the angle at which the ball arched through the air by changing the placement of the heel of her palm on its surface at the point of strike, factoring in the breeze, combined with an explosive energy, her victory in this skill would be assured. She passed the ball to her left hand, tossed it into the air, waited for the exact moment, felt the energy surge through her arm as if it were a lit canon, and ...wham! 

The ball shot past Kanji's head and impacted the ground like a rubber asteroid.

Kanji straightened when he'd had to duck to avoid having his head taken off. "Whoa! Jesus! Calm down." Kanji picked up the ball, happy to find it survived the decimation. "It's not the end of the world. Go easy on it." He hit the ball back to her.

She caught it. "Go easy. Right." Pulling back her need to be perfect, she tossed the ball up, and returned it smoothly.

He caught it.

"Yes! Haha!" She jumped into the air, realized what she'd done, and immediately calmed down. The part of her that wanted to play pushed to be free'd again. After tasting the joy of 'fun,' why would it hurt to let go for a little bit? She hurried to return the ball when he hit it back to her.

Rise soon joined the group in the water, though she only made it waist deep. "Brr! It's freezing."

"Come on in, Rise." Teddie beckoned. "The water's fine."

"Hey!" Yosuke called from from a rock to get everyone's attention. He owned the scene as its captain and master. "Watch this. Samurai Fox Spinning Blades of Fury!" He pounced, and used his wind power to send a rush of air across the pond seconds before he hit with a canon ball splash.

"Look out!" Yu flattened himself on the blanket as the wind rushed over them, fluttering the blanket wildly, knocking over the picnic basket, a couple of bikes, and finally howling off into the trees. The bamboo's peaceful knocking became a clattering chaos.

"Yu, um.." Yukiko muttered.

"Hm? Uh..." He sat up quickly, not realized he'd shielded Yukiko from anything that could have gone flying by. "S-sorry. You ok?"

She sat up and rubbed her back. "I'm fine."

The three in the pond immediately went on the attack with the fox as their target. They were all involved in a splash war. At first, angry threats were thrown, but those soon bore chuckles until the anger turned back into play.

Yukiko set out the food. "Oh, Yu, I almost forgot. I brought some seasonings for the sandwiches, and I-"

A chorus of "NO!" slammed into her from every person there. Even the water play instantly ceased. Teddie –who'd been sitting on Yosuke's shoulders to launch a flying splash attack at Chie—lost the war with balance.

"But I feel so useless not preparing anything. I made this special seasoning blend myself last night using every flavor enhancer I could find in the kitchen." She opened a sandwich and sprinkled some onto the meat. "Try it. As a thanks for saving me." She held it out to him.

Yu grimaced, staring down the innocent sandwich now sick with a green miasma. He'd made it the night before, and was sad its life was cut so short...to be the victim of a brutal culinary crime. He could have sworn he saw the meat move on its own accord. What on God's earth was in that seasoning blend? Had she unknowingly used the power of her persona on the meat? He reached out to take the sandwich in a trembling hand.  
"No, dude!" Yosuke shoved Teddie out of the way as he swam back to shore. "Don't do it! It's not worth it!"

It was a 'thanks,' a peace offering, and her feelings would be hurt if he didn't accept the offer. He had to or she'd be disappointed. He had pinned her down to 'save' her, so in order to save himself, he had to have courage. If he ate it all in one shot, maybe nothing would happen. Hopefully.

Braving all pain, suffering, and the inevitable cramps to follow, he stared at the food, solidified his will power to consume it, and downed the entire sandwich quickly in three bites. He slapped his hand over his mouth for a second, swallowed the last bite, then exhaled. Maybe he was already hallucinating, but he thought he saw a cloud of red vapors came out. His throat burned, his eyes watered, and he'd bet his life that something just moved in his stomach.

"Well?" Yukiko leaned forward eagerly.

"It's... good." He tried to grin. "Ex..excuse me."

He quickly grabbed a bottle of water from the basket and chugged the entire thing.

Unphased, Yukiko turned to Chie. "You wanna try it?"

"Ask Yosuke," Chie folded her arms, resting her elbows on the inner-tube.

The scrupulous squint that followed spoke volumes of distaste. "No way! That crap almost killed him." He scrambled out of the water to where Yu now lay on his back staring at the sky with glazed over eyes. "Yu? Hey, talk to me, partner."

"I think," he muttered, "It's alive." He took a deep breath, and waited for the squirming in his gut to settle before sitting up. Despite his fear of future discomfort, he smiled at Yukiko anyway. "The spices need work, but-."

She smiled. "Great. Then you won't mind trying it, too, right Kanji?"

He shrank back in fear from the bottle that might as well have had XXX written across it. "F that shit. I wanna live."

She snubbed her nose at his rudeness. "Everyone's a food critic."

Yosuke and Naoto quickly picked up their sandwiches before their taller friend could poison the rest of them. Teddie and Rise joined them as soon as it was safe and sat down to eat. Yosuke handed his afflicted friend another wrapped lunch to save the day.

He took it, examined it with the care of a jeweler, then finally took a bite. He sighed in happiness. This one was safe. "Hey, where'd you get this?"

"I grabbed it before we left. It was in my jacket pocket when I changed. Glad I remembered it was there at the last second, or it would have been interesting." He munched on his own food. "This is delicious!"

"So, if you're holding onto something, you can take it with you?"

He nodded and munched happily on the food. "Pretty much."

"The more complicated and bigger in size the item is, the more energy is used, and the more errors can occur." Naoto remembered a phone she lost that way when she'd forgotten it was in her pocket. She tried to change it at the last second, but it ended up cracking in half. She bit into her lunch and sipped on a soda.

The fox stretched, and flopped back on the blanket to look at the sky. It was a deep blue-the kind found on a painters palate, swept by brushes of white, feathery clouds. The breeze delightfully ruffled his ears, and he wondered if the sky in the Red World ever held this sapphire clarity. Yosuke relaxed, watching the clouds. A memory of a clear day like this in a field of tall grasses lived for a fraction of a second in his mind. He'd been there playing with Naoto and others from his class as they chased each other through the grass calling out and responding to find one another, It was a game. They knew they couldn't get lost, and this place was safe from Shadows. He closed his eyes to find it once more, and for the first time in months, he succeeded. The memory cleared to his point of view. He found the cat demon –whom he knew lived with him and the white fox in their house. They both laughed and split up again to start the game over with a bear demon, the brown dog demon, and a bunny demon. He felt like he hadn't lived here for very long as of yet, and didn't really know them, but they were his friends because they were in the same class. He stopped to look up at the face of the white fox –Ai—when she knelt in the grass to call him and others over, and then to another tall fox walking by behind her. The one he didn't recognize paused to scowl down at him and kept walking –as if stopping to even pay attention to Yosuke took precious time from his schedule.

He blinked back to reality as he watched two butterflies flutter across his eyeline. Who was that?

He sighed and hoped that world knew days like this. It would be too depressing if they always lived beneath that red and black murk, fighting shadows, and trying not to be eaten by them.

Teddie started in on a bag of chips while he watched Yukiko finally go join Chie in the water. Both were relaxing and laughing at a conversation he couldn't hear.

"Hey, Ted," Yosuke tucked his hands behind his head and watched the clouds. "Do you remember what the TV world looked like before it turned red?"

"Yeah." He smiled and raised his face to the warm sky. "It looked a lot like this. Only everything was bigger." He shoved a handful of chips into his mouth and spoke around the food. "Why? You don't?"

Yosuke shook his head from side to side.

"Oh," Teddie whined. "That's too bad."

Rise offered the bear-boy an orange. "That reminds me. While we were in that world finding the cure, the Raccoon doctor said you didn't have a Bonded because you named yourself. I thought that was impossible."

Teddie watched Yosuke get up, grab a frisbee from Chie's backpack, and start taunting her with 'fetch, girl!' until she agreed to play with him –after she hit him over the head with it, of course. He soon got Naoto involved in the game as well. "I remembear a bright flash of light after the sky turned red and black. The Shadow that attacked us was suddenly gone. So, I got out of the field me and others of my class were playing in and found shelter in one of the buildings that appeared out of nowhere. Inside, everything was destroyed, furniture was broken, and it was dirty and smelled like old gym socks. I hid from a Shadow that passed by looking for another animal demon to eat. That's when I bumped into a stuffed toy that looked just like me. It had ears like mine, and a tail like mine, and its fur was soft like mine. It was the only thing that felt familiar, so I stayed there curled up with it all night while screams and the sounds of those monsters went on outside. After waiting for hours, I finally tried to leave. That's when I saw a word written in black ink on its foot. It said 'Teddie.' I figured if this was a 'Teddie,' and it looked like me, then I must be a 'Teddie,' too. Suddenly I wasn't alone anymore. Luckily, I managed to keep from getting eaten until I found Rei. When he asked if I had a name, I thought back to the toy and said my name was Teddie." The bear-boy grinned. "He said animal demons can't name themselves or others, but apparently I did. I guess I was the exception." He turned a charming sparkle in his eyes to the girl who'd saved his life. "But I'm even more happy now that you gave it back to me, Rise."

Her smile broadened. "That's an amazing story. And you only used one bear pun." She giggled.

"Huh? I don't know what you mean!" He whined, flopped onto his back, and rolled across the grass right into the middle of the game. Despite orders to 'move it, you stupid bear!' from Yosuke, or 'Teddie, join us or get out of the way' from Naoto, he remained rolling back and forth. It was fun to be in the middle of everything.

Yu stood. "I'll be right back."

And everyone who'd paid attention earlier knew why he was disappearing for a while. "Take your time, man." Kanji sent his sympathies. "Seriously."

* * * *  
The bamboo forest spoke around him in its muted, percussive speech. Creaks, snaps, and pops accented the rustling of thousands of leaves as the tall thin spires swayed in a sea of pale green to the will of the wind. Yu closed his eyes tilting his head back, and let the natural music carry him away. He'd seen a bamboo forest before in Arashiyama, Kyoto, but there were always people around, so civilization never truly left him like it did here. For the first time in his life, he was in complete solitude, yet he didn't feel alone in the slightest.

It also calmed him down from the sandwich of epic fail. He wrapped his fingers around an older green bamboo trunk and blinked up at the sunlight dappling through the canopy of pointed leaves. Other thick, knuckled stalks knocked against this one, but it seemed to pass the energy on to the next. Everything flowed continuously. This was tranquility. If Igor wanted him to rest his body and spirit, this was the place to do it. Though the day brought sunshine through partial clouds, he couldn't help but imagine the sound of raindrops peppering the leaves.

Teddie mentioned his world once looked like this instead of the harsh, deadly, broken hell hole he and his friends fell into. Yu wondered if it would ever look like this again. It must have truly been a beautiful world.

The clattering of metal against pavement in the distance jarred him from his peace. Unlike the ancient song of the bamboo forest, that was a sound he'd grown up with; the sound of a vehicle involved in a wreck. He wove between the straight stalks until he reached the path, and jogged out to the road. If anyone had been hurt, he could call for help on his cell phone, but he hoped he wouldn't have to.

He cleared the trees, moved down the road further from town around a corner where he saw a white scooter tipped on its side, and a girl in a very familiar white bandana and red apron.

Aika's back was turned to him as she pushed her scooter up, straining to balance it while she herself balanced on her left foot. She stepped on her right to keep moving forward –away from the newcomer on the road she'd failed to notice—and cried out in pain. She hopped back to avoid being crushed by the vehicle when it fell over again, though she hit the ground.

"Aika? Are you ok?" Yu moved over to check on her.

"Huh? Where did you come from?" Her black eyes scanned him in confusion. "I didn't see anyone else on the road."

"I'm with my friends today. I went for a walk and heard the crash."

"Oh," she stood to balance on her own power as he lifted the scooter. "I hit a pothole and busted up the front end." Her pained expression betrayed the only injury she'd obtained besides a few bruises. She cried out and dropped back to the ground, clutching her right ankle. Her teeth clenched, biting back another cry. "Slow speed crashes aren't very dramatic."

He set the bike on its stand and turned his attention back to her. "Is your ankle broken?"

She shook her head. "No, I don't think so. It's just twisted."

Yu withdrew his phone to dial the hospital so they could send an ambulance for her, and contact the Moel gas station for a tow, but his reception meter rebelliously displayed the 'no service' icon. The battery was close to dying as well. It must have been searching for a signal for a long time. That was weird since he'd just received a text from his uncle while at the pond. He pocketed the phone. "No luck. I can't get reception out here. Do you have a phone?"

She nodded, checking her pocket, but frowned in defeat when she came up with nothing. "I must have lost it." Her attempt to stand up faltered. "I still have to deliver this order."

He caught her, glanced to the tray on the back of the scooter holing the metal box still secured with the hot meal inside, and exhaled. He could walk her there with the scooter and ask the people who'd called in for take-out to call for help. "Where are you going? I'll take you."

"Just ahead a half mile."

"Ok." That shouldn't take too long.

Yu pushed the bike with her sitting on it down the road to her destination.

The two said nothing as they moved past the green grasses of a small rice field to their right. The bamboo forest continued on to their left.

The house was spacious, two stories, and like most of the homes in Inaba, held a traditional appearance trimmed with modern flourishes. This must be the home of the person Chie told them about, the one who owned the property. She'd mentioned he was a landscape designer, and by the clean lines and manicured detailing of the garden up to the front door, he believed her.

He grabbed the bag of food from the box and knocked.

"One second," he heard a man's voice answer. The door opened seconds later.

Yu looked down at a short middle aged man no taller than Naoto. For some reason, he imagined the landowner and practitioner of Kung Fu to be...well...taller.

"You're not who I expected," he said dryly. "Are you new at Aiya's?"

"No, I'm -"

"He's helping me, Mr. Fujiyama," Aika interrupted from her scooter seat. "That'll be eight hundred yen." Her manner of speaking was very rote, as though it were a script holding hardly any emotion.

Mr. Fujiyama dug the money from his wallet and handed it over. "I see. Are you all right?"

She nodded. "It's just a twisted ankle."

Yu accepted the money and delivered the food as promised. "My phone doesn't get any service out here. Can you call someone?"

"Of course." The older man flipped open his cell phone, though his hopeful demeanor faded. "Huh. It looks like my phone is dead, too. Strange. This rarely ever happens. It must be a solar flare interfering with the satellite, or something. I don't have a land line anymore."

Yu glanced back to Aika, patiently waiting. "Would you mind if we left the scooter here?"

"Yeah. Just pull it off to the side." He left them to the task and walked out to his car. The least he could do was give the two kids a ride back. As if to mock them in time to Aika's bad luck, the engine refused to turn over. He grumbled, exasperated. "Well, I dunno what to tell ya. Sorry."

"Don't worry. I can take her back into town and have the gas station send a tow truck."

"You sure, kid? It's a long walk."

"I'll be fine. Thank you" Yu crouched down so Aika could climb onto his back and locked his hands behind him under her legs for support. Her arms draped over his shoulders across his chest.

"Just leave the bowls," She repeated in a sleepy tone.

"Be careful," Mr. Fujiyama said.

"I will." Yu adjusted his grip so he was more comfortable. "I'm coming back this way anyway. My friends and I are by the pond for the day."

"Your friends?" He didn't recognize this kid from town at all, and he'd lived here his entire life.

"Chie Satonaka. She invited us. I hope you don't mind."

Mr. Fujiyama's brown eyes lit up. "Ah! I see. Of course not. Tell her I'll be by the dojo to talk to her father later this week."

Yu agreed, and turned to walk back down the road toward town.

Aika continued to let the silence live between them, even though she couldn't shake the memory of him pushing her broken scooter to the house without hesitation. She'd never spoken to him beyond taking his order over the phone, or serving him and his friends at the restaurant. And yet here he was, a complete stranger, giving up his day for her sake. "I'm sorry to put you out like this."

"It's no trouble."

"I ruined a day with your friends."

"They know I'll come back. Besides, I have clearance to be gone for a while."

"Clearance?"

"Eh...I'd rather not talk about it."

"They trust you? And you trust them?"

"Of course. That's what friendship is."

Aika listened to the sound of dirt crunching beneath his shoes for a while. "You're the new transfer student. I don't get it. How can you have such strong bonds with people you haven't even known for a year?"

That would have been a good question at any other point in his life. However, this time he had an answer. "It just seems natural. It's like we've known each other forever."

“Fated Friends.”

He ruminated on her suggestion for a moment. It was an interesting idea.

"Why are you doing this for me?" Her own experience dictated that he would want something in return. No one did anything for free.

"I'm doing this on my own. And I'd like to count you among my friends, if that's all right." He couldn't turn his head to look at her, so he hoped the sincerity of his words came across clearly. "There's nothing lost or gained when you try to help someone."

She tightened her arms across his chest to hold on, though when she noticed her right hand was over his heart, she moved it away. "No one's done anything like this for me before."

"Well, now they have."

Not sure what else to say, she remained silent a bit longer.

He made it back to the dojo a half hour later. "Are you ok if I leave you here? The Satonakas can call for a tow truck, and I really need to get back."

She smiled. "I'm fine, thanks. I think I can walk back to the restaurant. See?" She rotated her right foot. "My ankle feels better. I guess I just needed to stay off of it for a while."

"Ice it down as soon as you can and try to rest it." Yu nodded a 'good luck,' and jogged back toward the pond.

Aika watched him go, curious that he would drop his plans to help her. She hadn't expected Yu Narukami to be this kind of person at all. He always seemed so spacey and silent, and impossible to read. "What a strange guy."

Three quick beeps from his phone grabbed his attention on the way back. He stopped to catch his breath and checked the notification. All five bars of activity were lit. He had perfect reception, and his battery life was back to full. He glanced back toward town. Why would it suddenly go completely dead like that and then return for no reason?

Mr. Fujiwara was probably right about the cause. He pocketed the phone and assured himself it was just a fluke. Cell phones were a classic train wreck when it came to reliable service. He let his thoughts wander as he made the two mile jog through the hills back through the bamboo forest and the hidden pond tucked away within. There was still plenty of light left in the day to spend time with his friends before they needed to return to town.


	37. 37th Scent: A Test of Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chie and Yu train at her family's dojo. She learns an unexpected fact about his family that holds a history of testing his past friendships, and the reason why he always pops his collar.

37th SCENT: A TEST OF HEART

_September 2th. Friday. One week later..._

Early September brought with it the last brutal heat wave that kept many people sprawled out in front of their fans and air conditioners indoors The lazy days were filled with the sounds of cicadas. The weather forecast said colder days were soon ahead, and to prepare for fall in as soon as 2 days. 

Chie had called Yu that afternoon to see if he could help her train for an upcoming kung fu tournament in early October. By the sound of his voice, he was reluctant to leave the blissful cool of his uncle's house, yet he agreed to help her anyway. That illness had really kept her down, and now that her health was fully restored, she had to make up for lost time. She'd have even less time once school began that Monday. 

Both entryways to the Satonaka Dojo were pushed open so the daylight could fill the old, wood-panel room. The heat pulled out the blended aroma of musk and wood oil of the old building. Although the traditional architecture showed its ancient age, it was very well cared for. The two worked up a sweat at the punching bag, and running drills across the room with Yu holding a hand pad for her to practice her aim. 

“Glad to see you're feeling better.”

“Yeah. Having your soul shredded by a magical virus really puts things into perspective.” She pushed him to the edge of the room with a series of front snap kicks and spinning back kicks. She trusted him to switch the pad between striking ranges. 

She wiped the moisture from her face and neck with a towel. “Let's take a break. Can you go get a couple of waters from the 'fridge? There's one in the storage shed we keep for students so they don't go into the house.”

“Sure.” Happy to rest for a little while, and parched, he set the pad down, stepped down out of the dojo, put his shoes on, and walked across the courtyard to the shed. 

Chie's fists added new lumps to the old workout equipment while he was gone. She gave it a good right, left, and uppercut. The sudden light from his phone caught her eye in the corner where he'd stashed his shoulder bag. She ignored it and kept up with her routine. Why should she care anyway? It went off again a minute later. Curious, she walked over just to glance at who it might be. Maybe it was Yosuke –it usually was. The urge to answer back with a prank text was almost too much to withhold.

The number displayed said 'Nakajima'. Could it be a girl? If so, it wasn't her business. As she turned away, the phone went off a third time. This time, it said 'Nurse Uehara.' Was he dating two different girls at the same time? Maybe three if that first text had been from someone else? What a player! She'd have to ditch the punching bag their next go-around and give him a good pounding. And yet the phone had the audacity to actually start ringing in the middle of her mental rampage. Without thinking, she picked it up. 

“Hello, Yu's phone.” It hit her as she was speaking that she should have just let it go. She cursed her inability to think before reacting. 

“Who's this?” The woman's voice on the other end asked. The loud commotion of bamboo clacking against bamboo amid battle cries in the background forced her to raise her voice to be heard. 

A fourth girl?! Her fist trembled. Why that four-timing little— “I'm a friend of Yu's,” she said, trying not to sound disgusted.

“A friend? Really? That's great!” the voice seemed to smile on the other end. “This is his mother. Can you tell him to call me back as soon as he can at this number, please?”

His mother?! Oh great. Chie's instant guilt made her feel like she wanted to crawl into a dark hole. Yu was going to kill her. “Oh, uh, yeah. Of course I will.” 

“Thanks. Oh, I'm up soon. I have to go. Bye!” 

She ended the call and put the phone back. That woman sounded far too boisterous to be his mother. Now she had to give him the message and confess to breaking a friendship code by answering his phone. She cringed. Maybe he'd just see the number and call back on his own to figure out who it was... No, that was a lousy idea. His mom would say a girl answered, and she'd have to admit to invading his privacy, though by that time, the situation would be worse. Her assumption and anger might cause her to lose a friend. What was she going to do? “Oh man,” she hissed through grit teeth. 

“Who was that?” 

A cold spike of dread speared through her core at the sound of his calm voice. Guess she wouldn't have to entertain any of these theories at all. She turned around with the grace of a robot. “Um. Sorry. It was ringing. I know I shouldn't have picked it up.”

He wasn't upset. He checked the number's source and found that it originated from Los Angeles, California in the United States. He didn't know anyone in the U.S., so that could only be one person. 

“Your mom sounds nice.” Chie tried to lighten her mistake with a soft chuckle. “Really friendly.” 

“She's probably between matches.” he stated flatly, as if reporting the news, and put the phone back. “She becomes a completely different person when she picks up a sword.” 

“Wait, really? So she's at a tournament?”

He nodded once. “I'm surprised she remembered phones exist.” _Or that I exist,_ he thought. 

“I didn't know your mom practiced kenjutsu. She any good?”

He hesitated. “...A little.” And went back to holding the punching bag for her. 

Chie concentrated on the magic skill of Bufu she’d discovered in the t.v world to frost over the outside of the bottles. Being able to cool things down in this heat was a blessing. She chugged some water and set the bottle down. “What about you?” She began to pulverize the bag once more.

He held firm against each strike. “I'm ok, I guess,” he replied in a non-nonchalant way.

“Well, then I'll have to challenge you sometime.” She stretched out her legs and threw a couple of turning kicks with heavy 'thumps' against the fabric. “I know a few moves. My dad believes having knowledge of various martial arts helps to make you a well-rounded person. But, my passion is really Kung Fu.” 

“Your dad's a smart guy.” 

“Hey, why not now?” She grinned. “I really wanna test my speed as an animal demon on someone. You up for it?”

He didn't like where this was going. Sadly, he felt his history about to repeat itself. “Uh, I don't think that's such a great idea—” He began. 

“What? Are you scared?” She grabbed two bokken from a rack on the far wall and handed him one. “Don't worry. I'll go easy on ya.” 

His trepidation wasn't about her beating him. Although he knew where the path of saying nothing and taking her offer might lead, he accepted it and stepped back. Chie had been sick at the time he'd gone into the TV world with Kanji, Yukiko, and Rise to find the cure for the illness plaguing her and the other animal demons, so she hadn't seen him fight against the shadows. She had no idea. 

He'd keep his skill toned down. 

They bowed to each other and slipped into their ready stances. 

She gave him the sign that she was prepared to fight.

Yu's right foot shifted slightly as he pressed forward quickly. He blocked her wooden blade, barely grazing her torso as he flew by her and turned around. It was a normal point for a dual without protective gear. 

Chie gasped. She'd had enough time to perform a downswing, but he'd appeared behind her when she inhaled in a second. She turned, twisting her palms against the wood. “Lucky shot. Try to avoid this!” She went for a side strike again, which he avoided and scored a point. Then she went for a a shoulder –avoided. A knee—blocked and point gained. His wrist—dodged. Finally she cried out swinging the blade with as much skill as she held for a neck strike, only to have her weapon batted away. His blade stopped just shy of her neck. Her breath caught in her throat. He was fast; Incredibly fast, and controlled. The wooden practice weapon didn't quiver in the slightest. 

Hers, however, did. She clenched her fist around the hilt to quell the jolt of adrenaline. Had this been a real fight against an enemy, she would have been dead.

A muscle in his cheek twitched. Crap. He'd seriously held back, and yet she'd been defeated that easily. She really sucked. As a swordsman, she was an amazing Kung Fu martial artist. He relaxed and backed away. 

As he stepped aside, she could suddenly imagine him wearing a traditional indigo kimono and hakama, a sheath secured to his obi, his hair long enough to be tied back at the nape of his neck, but his bangs allowed to brush across his face from the breeze, and those silver eyes hiding both great kindness and incredible skill –a lone warrior, a great samurai protecting the weak. It was an amazingly vivid image that would stick with her for the rest of her life. Chie had to fight to regain her vocabulary. “I...thought you said...you were just... 'ok.'”

He shrugged.

She began laughing. “That wasn't 'ok,' that was amazing! What a rush! You're amazing! You gotta tell me who your sensei is.”

He held the bokken downward loosely in his right hand to show he wasn't going to continue the dual, though he hesitated to answer. 

“C'mon, I need a name, here. Who taught you those moves?”

“I'd rather--”

“Nope. Not gonna let you out of this one.” She thrust her foot out in a side kick, which he blocked even though she had no intention of hitting him. Her kicking aim was too good. She just wanted to pressure him a little. “Spill it,” she threw a jumping front kick, then a turning kick, emphasizing each one with, 'spill it, spill it, spill it.'

Still he said nothing. He backed up through the dojo with each attack until he finally caught her side kick. “Ok, you win.” 

She folded her arms, waiting with a smug grin after he let go of her foot. 

The two words he needed to respond with may ruin this friendship, but she wouldn't let up until he agreed. Finally, he took a deep breath, and said, “...My mother.” 

Chie's grin gradually faded out. Her eyes widened. “Wait... Wait a minute.... Narukami?”

He just stared at her and waited for the inevitable.

“THE Narukami?”

His eyes slid closed with a soft breath. Here we go...

She exploded. “Yuko Narukami?! The current leading kenjutsu champion of the WORLD ...is your mother?!” 

And...there it was. Every time. He moved to replace the bokken on the wall rack. So much for anonymity. 

Her jaw hit the floor. “Why didn't I see it before?! Oh my god! I'm such an idiot! That explains why your Persona is a samurai! Yuko is incredible! She won every national competition for six years straight! Not to mention countless regionals, and internationals! If she's competing now, it has to be to defend her title! I can't believe your mother is Yuko Narukami! I can't believe I talked to Yuko Narukami on the phone!” She bounced on the balls of her feet. “That is so awesome!” Being a Satonaka, everyone in her family knew of Yuko's fame in the martial arts world. Her dad, especially, was a major fan. He admired anyone with the discipline and talent to gain that high an honor. “Why didn't you say anything before?”

“It never came up.” He set the wooden blade gently on the holding rack with respect for the dojo. He was surprised she hadn't put it together before now. Out of all of his friends, he expected her to be the only one who'd care about his bloodline. It wasn't like he held a very common surname. 

“Dude, don't you think that's kinda huge?” She stepped over. 

He faced her, though tried to keep his voice light. “You still need to train for your tournament, right? You'll win if you just keep trying. Especially with that Galactic Punt you like to use on Yosuke.”

“But...“ Words failed her as she watched him walk back to the punching bag. At first, she didn't comprehend why he was so reluctant, but the more she watched him, the more she understood that he'd been living in his mother's shadow. Even if she loved him, trained him, and he competed to win his own awards, Yuko still couldn't escape being a giant in comparison, and thus he couldn't escape her. He was probably left with babysitters or family members a lot –hence him even being in Inaba in the first place. If he moved around, he likely made friends on a very rare basis, or avoided connecting with people at all—which would explain why Yuko was surprised Chie had said she was his friend. It also meant he was accustomed to being alone, and had adapted to living with the sense of being invisible...like he didn't exist. 

A quick exhale left her. Everything suddenly made sense. His bond with the fox demon was so incredibly strong, because—in that regard—they were exactly the same. Both abandoned. Both alone.

Ashamed, Chie moved over to the bag. “Yu...I'm sorry. It couldn't have been easy to grow up with that everywhere you went.”

“I'm used to it. I grew up fast. It's ok.” He shrugged it off and readied the bag for her to practice kicks.

“No, it's not!” She shoved the bag aside, making him step back. “I was a horrible friend just now!”

“Really,” he smiled a bit. “It's fine.” 

“It's not fine! I totally fangirled, and that was rude, and not fair to you at all!” 

“Chie—“

She quickly cut him off. “You risked your life to save me. That's not something someone ever forgets. I like you for who you are, you know, and I don't care who your mom is. It won't change anything.”

“Calm down.” 

Chie cringed. Why couldn't she keep her big mouth shut instead of digging a deeper hole trying to get out of said hole? She took a deep breath. “Let me make it up to you. Yukiko's coming over for dinner, so why don't you and Yosuke join us? We're having my dad's famous bbq.”

“Thanks, but I—“

“It's rude to turn down a dinner invitation, especially when it's in the form of an apology.”

He paused, but gave in with a light 'hn' in a chuckle. She could be very persistent. He was happy to have her as a friend. Besides, she'd said Yukiko would be there. “I guess I am kinda hungry.”

“Great! I'll go tell dad to expect two more guests! Don't worry. I'll leave your name out of it. But, uh...because it's my dad, you should probably come up with a different last name, like an alias or something to keep him off the trail. Got any ideas?”

Using an alias. Might as well dig up an oldie-but-goodie he used when he was tired of being called out to fight just because of his name. “Seta.” 

“You came up with that pretty fast.”

“It was my grandmother's maiden name. I've used it before to avoid confrontation.” 

“Got in a lot of fights as a kid, did ya?”

“Mostly with people trying to prove something.” He pushed his hair aside. The back-right side of his neck bore a permanent mark from one such fight.

Chie leaned close to get a good look. “Whoa, I never noticed that before. How long have you had it?”

“Since I was 10.” He let the hair fall back into place. 

“That's pretty wicked. How'd you get it?”

“I'd won a junior competition. One of my opponents wasn't happy about that.” The angry loser confronted him outside the venue seeking revenge. A circle of onlookers quickly gathered, salivating for a bare one-on-one fight from two of the best swordsmen in their bracket. Yu tried to back out, saying he didn't want to fight, but the salty instigator boorishly pushed until the shorter boy was forced to defend himself. During the fight, Yu had blocked a hate-fueled strike to his head with enough force that it splintered the other shinai –which was already poorly maintained. He had managed to turn his head enough to avoid a serious puncture to the eye or jugular, but a bamboo shard sliced his neck deep enough to bleed. His hair hid half of the resulting scar. No one ever asked him why he popped his collar, and he never offered an explanation. His method of hiding that scar became his fashion statement. 

“Uch, I hate sore losers.” That definitely explained his wardrobe. She mulled over the alias, and finally gave a thumbs up in approval. “Yu Seta. Sounds kinda weird, but I like it!” She walked out of the dojo. “Be here at 7, Yu Seta!” She waved back, smiling with the sense that she understood him a little more. Their friendship was a little stronger, now.

Yu sighed heavily as he was left alone in the Satonaka dojo. 

He'd run the risk of losing yet another friend to the suffocating influence of his mother's fame, but this time he'd won the battle. She'd permanently earned his trust. He hoped he could always count on Chie Satonaka to stay honest, and to never stop calling it like it is.


	38. 38th Scent: Gekkoukan, Ho!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> School starts up again. Mr. Mooka's 2nd year class gets a new teacher. Two first and second year classes at Yasogami High take a field trip to the city of Iwatodai, and the prestigious Gekkoukan High. This is the first time the animal demons get to leave Inaba.

38th SCENT: GEKKOUKAN, HO!

_September 5th, Monday. Classroom 2-2. A minute before the bell rings to start the first day of school..._

"Aaand..." Yosuke slid into his seat at the last second. "Made it!"

"Barely," Chie scowled. "Are you trying to get detention on the first day of school?"

He held up one finger in a 'so you know' manner donning a smug smirk. "Oh count air moon ai-mee—"

"It's 'au contrair, mon amie,'" Yukiko quickly corrected. Why was he trying to speak in another language when he still had problems with theirs?

"—I am establishing a reputation of being amazing by narrowly avoiding detention by the slimmest margin, and looking completely cool doing it," he grinned victoriously.

Yu turned around in his seat. "So that's why you hid in the bathroom for the past ten minutes." He'd gone in to take care of business before hand as usual, and noticed his friend boring a hole through his phone like it would award him a grand prize if he didn't blink.

The grin remained. "All part of my plan for a perfectly timed first impression. That, and I had to pee."

"But you introduced yourself a couple of months ago when you started school," Unimpressed, Chie gestured loosely to the classroom. "Everyone here already knows you're an idiot."

His confidence faltered. "Which is why I was hoping to create a second chance for a first impression. We were gone for a long time. I figured people would forget and it would be like starting over."

Yukiko pulled her book out of her bag and opened it. "I heard that line of thinking is considered 'child logic.' We weren't out for that long. But, I suppose for someone who's only six months old, that would constitute a long period of time, and 'child logic' would make sense."

"I am not six months old, and I do not use child logic." Yosuke clenched his fist.

"Then how old are you?" She asked simply.

He froze for a moment, then gave an exasperated sigh at the question he was all too familiar with hearing. "You know I don't know the answer to that, so stop asking."

"You can't take back a first impression," Yu said. "But at least you weren't accused of undressing a girl with your eyes on the first day."

Yosuke scanned the room. His deflated victory swept aside to make room for an answer to a much more important question. "Wait, which girl? Point her out, man."

Yu nodded to the slim girl by the window.

"Kimiko?" Yosuke's sights focused on the girl's brown hair and mouth as she laughed at an unheard joke from her friend in front of her. "Good choice. She's gotta be carrying D's."

"They look more like C's," Yu added smoothly.

Chie eyed their silver-haired friend. "You didn't really do that, did you?"

He blinked. "Maybe."

Yosuke chimed in. "Either way, her boobs are way bigger than yours-"

"Perverts!" Yukiko cracked a book upside Yu's head while Chie delivered a quick kick to Yosuke's. The attack took 2 seconds in total to complete.

Both boys lay face down on their desks, KO'd in pain. "How did she do that?" Yosuke whimpered. "She didn't even leave the chair."

Yu groaned. "By the force of the impact, that was her math book." It was a bit thicker than the 2nd year students' text books since Yukiko Amagi studied at a 3rd year level.

Kou Ichijo looked over at the defeated duo. "Hey, you guys ok?" His response was a dual thumbs up without moving. He opened up his book. "You two are weird."

The door to the classroom slid open followed by the click of high heeled shoes against the tiled floor. Since Mr. Morooka had made the news as the most recent unfortunate victim of the Inaba serial murderer, speculations flowed in murmurs among the students as to whom their new teacher would be. The administration would probably pick an older educator, or someone who didn't mind wasting away in a boring rural town shoved into a valley in the middle of nowhere, cut off from all civilization. Inaba was a perfect petri dish to study complete societal isolation. It's where people came to retire, start a family, hide bodies, or go into a witness protection program.

The students were prepared for this. They were not, however, prepared for the low cut pink button up shirt straining to contain the jello-like bosom within, and the sleek, booty-hugging pencil skirt that accompanied the entrance of the name-brand stilettos.

"Good morning, class," Noriko set her lesson plan on the desk, turned to pick up the chalk, and wrote her name on the board. She returned her focus to the room and set the chalk down once more. "I'm Ms. Noriko Kashiwagi and I'm your new teacher." She smiled, pulling her hair back into a bun. A few strands fell free.

The eyes of every male in that room locked on her—or rather the pink buttons all of them prayed were sewn on with fraying thread. "Mr. Morooka left notes for his lectures, so I'll try to follow his lessons as closely as I can, but," a soft smile curled her painted lips, "I like to improvise and make things interesting. Now," she picked up the attendance book and swayed her hips to the front of the desk where she leaned against it. Her feet crossed at the ankles. "I'm going to take roll, and when I call your name, I'd like you to say one short thing about yourself. I'd like to get to know each of you since we'll be together until the end of the school year."

"Ah man," Yosuke muttered. "Now it'll be impossible to focus in class."

Yu let a puff of air escape in solidarity. "We're screwed."

Ms. Kashiwagi removed a stack of papers from her briefcase and set them at each front row. "Pass these back, please." She continued as the students did as they were told. "These are permission slips. As I'm sure Mr. Morooka told you, we have a cultural exchange experience coming up where the students from both first and second year classes will experience life in a city high school. We'll be visiting the prestigious Gekkoukan High on Tatsumi port Island and spending a magnificent weekend in Iwatodai."

Yosuke leaned forward and whispered to Yu, "Where is that?"

"It's a few hours south," he whispered back.

"This may not be a big deal to some," the teacher's eyes rested on Yu and Yosuke for a second –as she'd been told these two transferred from the city, and receiving her stare would regain their attention- and continued. "I've taken the liberty of making my own adjustments to provide what I believe will be a better city life experience for you country kids. Have your parents sign these and return them tomorrow. The trip is this Friday, so be prepared!" A slight grin curled her lips around a chuckle. "Remind me to tell you the story of the last time I got to lounge near the Kirijo private beach, and about the three handsome young men who recognized and appreciated a real woman."

Some of the class groaned, but all Yosuke could say was, "Wait, we get to leave Inaba?"

* * * *  
September 9th, Friday -on the train to Iwatodai City...

The train rattled down the tracks at high speed to the south west. Onboard, the students of Yasogami High School's year 1 and year 2 filled up two cars in groups of two to each row of seats. They laughed, chatted, got up to visit other students, ate food from the dining car, and added to the excitement budding in the atmosphere. This was a major deal to most of them.

Well, everyone but Yu. He'd traveled by train from city to city too many times to call it anything special. His fox companion, however, held a different, and highly animated hyper view.

"This rocks!" Yosuke jumped out of his seat, sending the handful of Goldfish crackers he'd been eating flying into the air and scattering over the dark blue upholstery.

Yu deftly caught one in mid air and ate it.

"I can't believe this is real! I've been dying to leave Inaba to see the city! This is better than the festival! I couldn't even sleep last night! We'll hit up all the tourist spots, take pictures with the girls, or maybe have a romantic encounter in an unfamiliar town!" He sat back down, bouncing in his seat from the images of good times he'll soon be having. He couldn't wait to get to Iwatodai city and run around doing everything possible. "Hey, Yu, is this your city?"

"No, I'm from Asakusa."

"Is it as big as this place?"

"Bigger."

Yosuke's eyes bulged. "There's a bigger city?! I need to see it!"

"I've never been here," Chie stretched her arms from her isle seat across from Yosuke. "I wonder if they have any good ramen places? Oo! Or maybe they have a beef bowl restaurant with a 24 hour 'all you can eat' buffet. I need to bring a bento back for my dog. He's gonna love this. After all, he asked for one."

"He asked for one?" Another girl in her class questioned.

"Uh," Chie fumbled for an escape route to her slip. "Ya know when they get that look that they want something. Kinda like how Yosuke looks right now." She thumbed to her friend who lapped up the scenery with hungry eyes.

"Yeah, makes sense," the other girl went back to conversing with her friend.

The happy anticipation crept back in. Chie gasped. "Maybe there's somewhere with mountains of nikudon I've never eaten! Ah, now I can't wait!"

"What is it with you two? I like beef bowls like everyone else, but you guys are on a different obsession level. Why do you and Muku only talk about meat?!" Yosuke leaned out into the walkway.

"Because it's right," Chie's answer was wispy, truthful, and firm.

"It's wrong. You're wrong. You and your dog are crazy."

Her foot collided with his shin. "Hey! Don't underestimate the hidden power of meat." She folded her arms, muttering under her breath, "Stupid fox."

"I bet you fight over breakfast sausages, too," Yosuke goaded her through the argument.

"Do no!" she shot back.

"Coulda fooled me with that dog breath."

"Why you little-"

Yu opened the itinerary they'd each received the day before, hardly paying attention to the lively argument shooting between the fox demon and the dog demon. "Day 1: Cultural Exchange. Day 2: View factories and such during our free time. Day 3: Go home."

"What?! Lemme see that." Yosuke snapped away from his argument and snatched up the booklet to read it. "What's up with this 'cultural exchange' crap? Wait, are we on something like a social studies trip? You gotta be kidding me!"

"We get free time," Yu calmly took the itinerary back. "It says so right here on day two."

"Yeah, to see 'Factories and such.' That doesn't qualify as 'free time.'" Yosuke defended his need for freedom. "It's supposed to be our time to do what we want. It's not our free time if someone else plans it. This sucks!"

Yukiko scanned to the bottom of the page. "It looks like this is the schedule that King Moron created."

The balloon of euphoria popped, leaving a deflated Yosuke flopped over the arm rest facing the girls. "It's like King Moron is tormenting us from beyond the grave," he whined. His head thunked against his folded arms in defeat.

Yukiko folded up her copy of the trip plan and replaced it in her bag. "Ms. Kashiwagi did say she'd made some adjustments. Maybe she made some for the better."

"Yeah," Chie smiled, bolstering herself from the thought of being dragged through boring buildings with lectures on architecture and historical significance. "I bet she added something totally fun."

He hoped so. Yosuke didn't want his first time out of Inaba to go to waste.

* * * *  
The train arrived at the station by mid morning. A cacophony of sound and motion greeted the country high schoolers as they gathered on the platform near the bus terminal. The area teemed with work-week commuters and tourists.

Naoto didn't dare blink in case she missed sight of any of her friends. There were so many people here, they could all easily get separated. They stuck to an area near the stairs where they could easily see the buses while they waited.

"I've never seen so many people packed together at once," Naoto observed in complete fascination while Chie dropped some coins into a vending machine for a refreshing Cielo Mist.

"Oh right," Kanji shoved his hands in his pockets. "This is your first time out of Inaba, isn't it."

She nodded. "At first I was against leaving so I could remain on the case, but the idea of exploring someplace so drastically different from home was too temping to pass up. Yosuke's just a little more vocal about how exciting it is."

"A little?" Chie snerked. "He hardly shut up the whole trip over."

Kanji glanced to his right, where Yosuke had both hands tightly clamped over his nose and mouth. "What's your problem?"

He tried not to inhale too deeply. "Everything smells like...everything good and gross at the same time."

Chie sniffed the air, then hastily pinched her nose. "He's right. It really stinks in here."

"It must be your hyper sensitive sense of smell," Yukiko noted. She glanced down to their shorter companion. "How about you?"

Naoto's hand covered her nose and mouth. "It's borderline nauseating."

Rise stood nearby, removed a small bottle of perfume from her purse, and spritzed the air right in front of them.

"Ah! Now it burns!" Yosuke shoved his face into his shirt.

Kanji grinned. "Well, I doubt we'll get bored with you guys around."

"Let's wait outside," Yu suggested.

Their group quickly moved to an open area with a couple of benches and shrubs where others from their school had decided to take advantage of the clear space.

Yosuke exhaled in relief. The three animal demons were happy for the interruption of floral aromas. Even Rise went to check out the flowers off to the side.

"What's Tatsumi Port Island like?" Chie asked.

Yukiko unfolded the map within her booklet and opened it. "It's a large city located on an artificial island facing the ocean. The high school is right in the middle. That's where we're going."

"Tatsumi, eh?" Yosuke needled his elbow against Kanji's ribs. "Any family relation? Are you loaded and just didn't tell us? Come on, spill the secrets."

"It's a common name," Kanji folded his arms, ignoring the fox-boy. "Keep it up if you want your headphones shoved up your ass, you little egg fart."

He couldn't tell if Kanji was kidding or not, so he backed up to be safe. He slumped, still hurt by the fact that they couldn't do what they wanted in this city. It was amazing, fantastic, scary, and exciting. He wanted to experience it all. It was these times he wished he could play the 'I'm not even Human' card to get around their rules of obligation. Sadly, no one else but his friends knew that card existed.

Naoto spoke up. "Has anyone else noticed Rise acting strange lately?"

"Strange how?" Chie asked.

"Yeah, now that you mention it, she has seemed pretty relaxed," Yosuke scratched the back of his neck.

"How is that strange?" Chie folded her arms. "So she's having a better time than we are, so what?"

"She had to leave Teddie behind," Yu stated.

“Oh,” Chie drew out the word in complete understanding.

Naoto fished her phone out of her pocket to check the time, then put it back. "Her bond with the bear-demon is still new. She should be suffering the effects of separation, especially at this great distance. At this early stage, being across town would be difficult, let alone this far across the country. Yet, she hasn't exhibited any signs of pain, fatigue, irritability, or changes in appetite all day."

"It's like she's not phased at all." Yosuke frowned. "Why did she get let off that hook so easily?"

"It seems the experience is unique to the individual. It's more potent for some than others for some reason. I wonder why..." Naoto tilted her head down in thought, her ears twitching beneath her cap. Perhaps she should investigate this phenomena further with each of her friends, noting down their experiences. Knowing how different they are and why could give her more answers about their origins, and possibly aid in solving the Inaba murders.

Soon after, the two classes boarded their buses and made their way across a long, wide suspension bridge leading to the island. The three young animal demons couldn't keep their eyes off the scenery passing by, and soaked up as much detail as their eyes could absorb.

Yu stared out the window past his fox. A few windmills turned lazily in the ocean air, ever-present, giant sentries guarding the island. The last time he was here, he'd been a child – 7 years old-, crossing this bridge at night in the car with his father heading back to their hotel. It had been clear with a full moon casting a spotlight over the island with enough luminescence to light up the bridge easily without the need for additional streetlights. Yu had wondered out loud then if that was why it was called—

"The Moonlight Bridge," Yosuke said.

Yu blinked at him, stunned that he had thought the exact same thing at the same time.

"Kind of a weird name for a bridge. Then again, I guess it would look cool under a full moon." Though he couldn't shake the sense that he'd seen it before, and could clearly imagine the scene at night, he mentioned nothing aloud. They'd just laugh at him if he did. Yosuke pointed at the map in his own itinerary. "That's what it says here," he noted at the location.

It was a coincidence, however a strong one. He let it slide. It was probably nothing.

The buses arrived at the pristine, open gates of Gekkoukan High and unloaded their passengers. Mumbles of awe at the vast, impressive school grounds filtered among the students as they walked up the broad main path. Even the trees were manicured.

Yosuke shoved his hands in his pockets as they walked. "So, any way we can skip this whole 'cultural exchange' stuff and go do something fun?"

"Outlook grim." Yu stated.

"What are you, a magic 8 ball?"

"Ask again later," he replied in the same bland manner.

A sudden burst of giggles exploded next to them. Yukiko covered her mouth to muffle them, but couldn't stop laughing. "Yu isn't a magic 8 ball, Yosuke."

"It's not that funny." Chie arched an eyebrow. Her friend could be really odd when she fell into a giggle-fit.

Yosuke finally looked up, and his jaw dropped. Gekkoukan high was enormous, with glistening clean white walls, marble columns, perfectly trimmed lawns, and...just plain huge. The chain link fence bordering the rim of the rooftop looked to be a mile away. This was the largest building he'd seen in his entire life. He felt like he'd reverted back to his 15" tall form, and had to double check that he was still a Human. "Whoa. This place is way too big. How is this a school?"

"Maybe it's a secret laboratory, or the entrance to an insane hidden labyrinth," Naoto whispered. She wasn't serious, but it was fun to indulge her imagination from time to time.

"That...," Yosuke clenched both fists beneath a wide grin. "..would be amazing. Why can't our school be that awesome?"

"Because we live in a backwater town that doesn't think updating an ancient high school is worth the budget expense," Chie snarked.

"So," Yosuke drew out the syllable, "if we had more money, we could get a labyrinth installed."

Chie blinked in disbelief. She knew the fox was young, but that made no sense. "Real life doesn't use Nintendo logic, pea-brain."

He folded his arms, casting his nonchalant gaze skyward away from the stares of ridicule. "Just sayin' it would be nice, is all."

Two people stood patiently in wait at the base of the steps to the main building. One was a teacher, the other a student. The teacher fiddled with a pamphlet in his hands while the student remained calm and smiling at her approaching country peers. The girl's long, straight brown hair delicately framed her small face. "Thank you for participating in our cultural exchange program. I'm the student council president, Chihiro Fushimi, and I'll be giving you the tour. I'm pleased to meet you all. Welcome to Gekkoukan High."

"Wow," Yosuke's eyes lit up with the glisten of sparkling lights on Christmas morning. "What a fox!" If his tail could be visible, it would be wagging excitedly. "That hair, those eyes, those legs, that chest... I have to talk to her."

And "Down, boy," was all Yu needed to say. But if the fox got an opportunity, he wouldn't stop him.

The teacher took over." First, I will explain the architectural and historical significance of the campus' city-like design, and why it was constructed."

Chie rolled her eyes. "Great. Just what I wanted to avoid."

"There's a saying I'd like to impart upon you all, but, uh," he smiled, "I don't want to waste too much of your time. Let's begin the tour! I'll leave you in the very capable hands of our student council president."

"Thank you, Mr. Ekoda. If you'll all please follow me." She smiled as she lead them into the spacious main lobby of the school. Her voice held a slight echo in the massive room as she moved toward the stairs. Her shoes clicked lightly against the polished floor. "I hope everyone can learn something from this exchange."

Chie's eyes widened in joy not at the clean architecture, but at the desk positioned at the left of the room. "Oo! They have cutlet sandwiches here! Yukiko, loan me three-hundred yen."

Yukiko dug the money from her pocket and handed it over.

Chie purchased the sandwich and stuffed it into her backpack for a snack later on.

Rise quickly joined her to buy a handful of small items, which she shoved into her bag.

"I want something, too." Yosuke counted the coins from his wallet, frowned at the fact that he'd have to break a bigger bill intended for tonight's dinner, then nudged his friend's arm. "Hey, do you—"

"Get me a melon bread, too," Yu added to the small pile of change in Yosuke's palm.

Yosuke eagerly hurried to buy the goods before the group moved too far ahead. The food was devoured by the boys in seconds.

They followed the beautiful Chihiro through the school grounds, listening to her lessons of the campus' history, along with a brief introduction on the Kirijo Group responsible for the school's existence. She paused the group of gawking students in front of a wall of photos. "These are some of the notable alumni of the school since it's founding. Feel free to return here to read about their accomplishments. It may help inspire some of you." Her eyes drifted to the wall, lingering a little too long on the 2009 section. Without another word, she moved on to lead the exchange group down the hall toward their destination home room for the day.

Yu hung back as the small crowd drifted past him. He'd noticed where Chihiro's gaze rested, and followed the same path out of curiosity. In the the middle of the conglomeration of portraits of high achievers was a photo of a serious-faced boy in a kendo uniform with his 'men'—his helmet—tucked beneath his left arm, and his shinai propped confidently over his right shoulder. His right eye was covered by a weft of blue hair, while the other seemed to peer through the photo into the moving time beyond his own frozen moment. The name on the plaque beneath the polished wooden frame meant nothing to him, but he couldn't look away. There was just something about this kid that struck a chord of familiarity. Where had he seen him before? The feeling nagged at him. What was it about this guy that intrigued him so much? It wasn't even a well-taken photo. It looked like a snapshot someone had taken on their phone, as though the faculty had gone around asking if anyone had a decent picture of him, because for some reason, they were unable to obtain one by their own commissioned photographer.

"Hey, Chief, come on." Chie nudged him, then peered at the photo in the same curiosity. "'Minato Arisato. 2nd year. Kendo Champion 2009.' Huh. That's weird. Most of these pictures are of academic egg heads. I wonder why his picture is here?" She stretched. "Wouldn't it be funny if you two actually competed in the same tournament and didn't even know it?"

He blinked, processing Chie's thought. He'd been entered into enough junior events, including a few three years ago, that it was possible their paths and shinai may have crossed.

I should let it be. It's probably just a coincidence, he thought, and hurried with his friend to catch up to the group. He slid into the third desk two rows from the window of their class room just in time for the bell to ring, and to hear a very familiar whining voice beside him.

Yosuke slouched in the desk, looking like someone had placed a pile of bricks in his lap. "My first time ever leaving the city limits of Inaba, and I have to be stuck in a classroom. It's just not fair."

"Namaste, and welcome," said a buoyant instructor sporting a samurai helmet too big for his head. The name on the board behind him read 'Mr. Edogawa' in swooping characters. "Young, eager minds waiting to soak up social histories and origins. I hope you find today's lecture as exciting as I do. Because we," he swept his hand out across the class, then upwards toward the ceiling—and if he could reach the stars beyond, "are diving into the world of the gods of Japan!"

"At least I can sleep through this and we can go," Yosuke mumbled.

Yu glanced at the itinerary. "'We've got lectures all day."

"eeeehhh..." Yosuke's voice muffled through the cloth of his sleeve when he faceplanted to his desk. "Please let our hotel be something awesome. Please let anything be awesome."

Despite his companion's desperate desire to climb out the window, Yu paid attention, and even took notes. Mr. Edogawa would think his fervent pencil scratching was purely for academic reasons, but Yu had a deeper, more personal motivation. One of the gods mentioned was Izanagi – the father of the gods. He may learn something more about the moniker of his Persona, and the name that followed him through his life.

* * * *  
 _7pm that night - outside their hotel..._

After escaping the lessons of Gekkoukan High, and eating dinner at a local ramen greasy spoon called 'Hagakure,' the group of Yasogami students made their way to their hotel. 

Chie stretched her arms over her head. “That food was amazing! Totally worth coming out here for.”

Yosuke smirked. “Because you got to stuff your face, right?”

“You guys were eating, too!” She snorted.

“We had normal sized dishes. An extra large steak bowl and a side of extra noodles doesn't quality as a normal meal.”

“Says you,” she retorted. “I have to keep up my strength.”

“At least you can justify eating so much, now.” Yosuke wasn't fast enough to avoid a punch to the arm. “Ow.”

The group came to a halt in front of their destination. A loud, tacky sign flickered the name 'Seaside City Hotel Hamaguri' in shameless blue and pink neon lights.

The students stared at their future place of residence with wary unease, as though someone had told them they'd be attacked by live jellyfish if they crossed the threshold. Still, Ms. Kashiwagi's excited insistent voice pushed them through. "We're here! This hotel just opened up, and the price was right!"

Yosuke halted at the narrow entry way embellished with metal curlicues and wedged between two thick concrete walls. "We're staying here? This looks like one of those racy dives on cop shows."

Kanji's feet glued themselves to the pavement. He eyed the hotel with trepidation and disgust. Someone may have cleaned it up, but it still screamed of shady back-alley deals. "It looks sketchy."

"That's because it is," Rise sighed, glancing away from them in embarrassment. "This place is Shirokawa Boulevard. I thought the name seemed familiar, and then I noticed the district on the way here."

"What about it?" Yosuke glanced around. "It just looks like a bunch of old buildings."

"It's a Hanamachi. A geisha district," she frowned. "Or at least it was."

"Geisha? You mean those women with white painted faces that dance with fans in fancy kimono?" Yosuke's grin of excitement widened. "All right! Do you think we'll see one?"

Chie elbowed him. "No, you idiot. She said it was a geisha district. I doubt there are any left." She turned to the younger student, who pushed through the front gate. "By the way, how do you know about this, Rise?"

"My grandmother used to be a geisha. She told me what happened to okiya like these after their hay-day in her time. They went under, and less reputable businesses took over, gutted them, and turned them into dives like this."

"I see." It clicked in Yukiko's mind. "It's one of those places."

"Oh. It's a love—," Yu began, before Yosuke tackled him and planted his hand across his mouth. He blinked once, but just let him.

"Don't say it out loud!"

"It's fine," Chie said. "Besides, it doesn't sound pervy when Yu says it."

Yosuke sniped back. "Oh sure, you don't give him any grief about it, but I could read a grocery list and you'd kick me."

Chie stared him down. "That's because he doesn't say 'melons' with an eyebrow waggle."

Yu let out a light 'hn' chuckle from behind his friend's palm. If he thought he could get away with it, he'd probably try.

"I was trying to be funny like that one guy in the commercial," Yosuke defended himself. His hand finally slipped free from its peace-keeping task. "You just have no sense of humor."

Yu remained still as if nothing had happened. This was just how life was. Yosuke was more animated than him, and he'd learned to roll with the punches.

"Please let me pretend this is awesome, because I have a feeling the rest of our trip is going to stink."

Kanji shoved his hands into his pockets. "Something about this place stinks all right."

"What do you mean?" Naoto asked blithely. "Because of this building's nature, do you think there will be an unpleasant aroma? I'm sure they have strict cleaning procedures."

Everyone turned ten shades of red.

"Naoto," Kanji started, "sometimes I wonder what kind of documentaries they let you watch at the station."

Rise hugged her bag to her chest and hurried forward. "I'll see you guys later."

They watched her disappear into the pink-lit front door.

The din of the city night life surrounded them, yet nobody moved.

"Why don't we get something to eat tomorrow on our free time?" Yukiko spoke up, breaking the awkward atmosphere.

'Yeah,' 'sure,' 'sounds good,' 'I'm down,' 'all right.' Everyone nodded and mumbled in agreement, though still hadn't abandoned the sidewalk.

A cricket chirped nearby. 

Yu finally spoke up. "We should just go inside."

In a chorus of hesitated groans, the group shuffled through the front doors of a place none of them thought they'd ever be spending two nights in...at least until their college days.


	39. 39th Scent: An Unexpected Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rise stowed Teddie away in her bag, and the bear demon ate all of Chie's snacks. Upset, Chie leaves on her own to buy more snacks, and meets a white shiba inu who's more than what he appears to be.

39th SCENT: AN UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER

_September 6th. 8am. The girls' hotel room..._

Chie's ear twitched at the muted sound of crunching. It drew her from the pleasant adventures of her dream. She stretched, yawned, and pulled on her floppy, furry ears at the same time. For some reason, this act quickly became a habit. It wasn't painful, but somehow satisfying in waking up, like flexing her toes, or stretching her shoulders out. 

A slim shaft of sunlight speared through the crack in the curtains, streaking across the floor to end its path in a spotlight on the closet door. Someone had left it slightly ajar. Both of her roommates were sound asleep, bundled in their own blankets. To save space, she'd transformed back into a small dog demon and slept at the head of the round bed. 

Her stomach grumbled, signaling that it was breakfast time. Oh man, was she hungry. Even after last night's major meal, she felt like she could eat twelve pounds of bacon and still crave more. She didn't want to wait for Rise and Yukiko to wake up, and didn't want to bother them, so she slid off the bed onto the floor. In a thought, she changed back to her normal self as she shuffled to her over night bag in the closet. The same sound of crunching made her pause again. Even though she was in Human form, her acute sense of hearing remained, as did her sense of smell. And right now, her nose detected the scent of another person. It wasn't Yosuke. Had it been the fox, she'd be more angry than anything. This was someone else, someone familiar, and someone she never thought she'd run into way out here. 

Chie counted to three in her head and threw the closet door open. She snared her gym bag off the floor, hoisting it into the air to use as a weapon against the intruder, but saw no one. “Huh?” Then she looked at her bag. It was unzipped halfway revealing a telling blue wagging puff-ball tail. 

Her caution reverted back to anger as she ripped open the zipper and snatched up the tiny culprit. “You?!”

Teddie yelped as he was yanked out of the bag, dropping fistfulls of crackers onto the floor.

“What are you doing in my bag?” she snarled.

Teddie dangled by his foot, gripped painfully in her fist. Crumbs of food dropped to the carpet. “Eating breakfast?” 

Her jaw clenched when she realized what the crumbs belonged to. “Those are my snacks!” 

“Great choices. They're delicious.” He grinned. 

She tossed the little bear-boy onto the bed –still holding his pilfered goods—and dug through the green gym bag. “They're gone. You ate everything, you little rat!”

Teddie held up a finger in correction as he munched on the last of a cracker. “Bear.”

“And now you're dead meat.” She lunged at him with a snarl.

“Yipe!” He bounced off the water bed to the floor in a ball, scrambled to his feet, and took off across the room. 

She was on his little blue-fluff tail, chasing him through the room with the rage of warring siblings. 

Yukiko sat up in bed, letting the blanket slip to her lap as she rubbed at her eyes. “What's going on in here? Chie?” She blinked, though simply watched the chase. From her vantage point, all she could see was an angry blond grasping at something on the floor. “What are you doing? Did you find a mouse?”

“Hm?” The commotion woke Rise. “A mouse?” She stretched. There shouldn't be any mice in he—oh no... “Teddie!” It took her three seconds to leap from the wobbly water bed to the floor, catch the little bear boy, and hold him close. “Chie, stop!”

The angry teen puffed and panted, standing strong and pointing an accusing finger at the tiny animal demon. “He stole my food!”

“I got hungry, and you're greedy to horde it all,” he shot back from the safety behind Rise's arm.

Yukiko walked over to pick up the empty back. “This was full when you arrived. Did you pack the entire thing with snacks?”

“Of course I did,” Chie folded her arms. “What else did you expect me to bring?”

“Clothes?” her voice lilted with the light suggestion. 

“We're only here for three days. I brought all the clothes I'd need in my school bag...” she paused and slowly turned toward Rise, who'd been sitting silently on the bed this whole time holding the bear demon. “Wait a minute... That's why you were acting so normal. You snuck him in here!”

Rise's calm broke. “Ok, fine! After hearing what happened with Yukiko and Yu and their animal demons, I got scared. I didn't want to feel anything like what they described. It sounded horrible.” She shook her head. “Besides,” then held up the little bear-boy, “I couldn't leave him behind.”

“What if the teacher finds out about him? We'll have to explain another person in our class.” Yukiko said.

“Right,” Rise laughed. “Miss Kashiwagi probably wouldn't realize he wasn't part of the group. But just in case, I told Teddie to stay in his native form the whole trip. He can easily hide, and still have fun.”

Chie stormed over to change into her clothes. “Which also means he can't go outside without you, and he can't replace anything he ate.” She pulled on her shoes. 

“Where are you going?” Yukiko asked. 

“To get some more snacks. I saw a store nearby.” She zipped up her jacket and opened the door. “And I need some air away from that thing. Call me when you're leaving.” And in her anger, she slammed the door. 

Yukiko turned a sudden, steely-yet-calm stare to her roommate, causing Rise to shrink back. “Command him to return to normal. He's staying with the boys.”

“But...” Rise argued.

“With the boys!”

Rise sighed. “Fine. Teddie, you can change back at will.”

Teddie stared at the door, and casually nibbled on more of the stolen food. “That's ok. I have enough stories about you girls to share, now. Like how Chie wears green stripe underwear, and Yukiko snores. It's light, but endearing.”

“What?!” They both shouted. 

“I do not snore!” The fire around her words scorched the atmosphere. Teddie soon found himself flat on his butt outside the door at his Human height, sporting a sizeable lump on his head. The door slammed behind him. Yukiko had a mean left hook, but he knew Chie's would be worse if she ever found out he'd caught a glimpse of her skivies. Exiled from the girls' room, he sniffed out the only other male animal demon, and skipped down the hallway toward their room holding his stolen snacks. “Shoop be doop be doo.”

* * * *  
 _Free time!_  
Two boring factory trips later, the students finally had some time to themselves. With this rare gem offering promises of entertainment, they split off into their own social groups with the order to return to the hotel before nightfall. This meant the entire afternoon and dinner time belonged to them.

Yu, Kanji, Teddie, and Yosuke walked behind the chit-chatting girls along a string of shops at the Port Island Station. Putting a small shopping area on the same island as the school made sense, as it would attract the students, or rather, their wallets. 

Teddie twirled in a circle. “I'm on a date! I'm on a shopping trip with Yukiko, Chie, and Rise!”

Chie rolled her eyes. “Of all things to find exciting, he chooses a street.”

“But this street isn't in Inaba. It's fascinating!” Teddie floated in his joy to a nearby flower bush. “Everything smells like perfume.” 

Yosuke scrunched up his nose as they passed a trash can. “Your senses are damaged.”

Naoto's eyes flicked to every sight. She hardly blinked. “But he is correct. This is our first time away from home, so the experience is bound to be more intense for us.”

“Hey, Teddie,” Rise smiled. “Why don't we go into this shop?” She nodded to a clothing store nearby with finely dressed mannequins in the window sporting the latest in fall fashion. 

“Sure!” Teddie happily jogged to catch up to the girls. “Dates are so much fun!”

Naoto started to follow, but Kanji's voice held her back. 

“Uh, aren't you supposed to be a guy?”

She tipped her hat down. “That is the case in public. But, if anyone asks, I could be...a liaison.”

“You just want to look at the clothes and be all girly, don't you,” Yosuke stuffed his hands in his pockets.

Her ears twitched beneath her hat. “...I'll find you a nice ensemble.”

“What?!” Were the fox's tail visible, it would have floofed out in dread. “Don't you dare.”

“A skirt it is,” Naoto turned away to follow the girls with a smirk on her face. Payback would be fun.

Yu couldn't hold back a small smile. “Well, Teddie seems to be having fun, at least.” He walked at a leisurely pace with the others.

Rise had explained to them when they met up for breakfast the reason behind her abnormal behavior –well, abnormal for a Bonded who was supposed to be miles away from their animal demon. 

“Why are we following them?” Kanji asked. 

“Because we don't have any plans, and they're the only ones who know where anything is around here,” Yosuke sighed. “We have an entire city to explore, and we're playing tag-alongs. I don't care where we go. Let's just go somewhere that isn't shopping.”

Going it alone for a while might not be a bad idea. Yu opened his mouth to suggest heading back to the main land when the audio from a newsboard interrupted. The three turned their attention toward the news anchor dressed in a gray suit and blue tie. Had it been any other story, they would have ignored it and moved on. However...

“The Inaba serial murder case continues to gain national attention. Today, we'll be featuring, “His Motives and Background Story” -an account of famous murders throughout the last century.”

“Uch,” Kanji hung back and sneered at the billboard. “They're still talking about it, even way out here. The murder case. All it's doing is giving ammunition for potential copy cat killers to get their fifteen seconds of fame.”

“You mean like the guy who got Morooka,” Yosuke frowned. 

“Yeah,” Kanji looked away, disgusted at the media. “We know that's not our guy.”

“But we still don't know who did it,” Yu stated.

They all remembered Naoto filling them in on what she'd discovered from the coroner's report. Morooka was killed by blunt force trauma to the head –which in itself wouldn't exclude him from the turntable of Shadow World victims, but her next piece of information did: Morooka did not possess any animal demon traits. He was not struck by Mitsuo's weapon. 

They had a real, Human murderer on their hands, and they were the only ones who knew it. 

“We'll give you the full story later in our feature program,” the anchorman ended his report, and the screen switched to an ad for Calorie Magic plugged by the beautiful bathing suit-clad idol, Kanami Mashita.

“I wish they'd let it go already and quit painting the town out to be from some horror film,” Kanji growled.

That's when Yosuke noticed the distinct lack of lovely fragrances replaced by the scent of dudes and city. He sniffed the air lightly and looked around. “Hey, where'd the girls go?”

They all looked around. Sure enough, they were alone in a crowd of strangers in a city none of them were familiar with. “I guess we lost them,” Kanji said. 

“Uch,” Yosuke sighed in exasperation. “Let's split up and see if we can find 'em.” They all knew to go back to the hotel, but he was concerned for their safety. It was a strange town for all of them.

The other two agreed and the trio walked off in three different directions. 

“If I find Naoto, there'd better not be a skirt in my future.” 

* * * *  
 _During the guys' distraction..._  
Chie couldn't stand Teddie's melodramatic fawning over the girls in the stores, so she'd told Yukiko she was going to get some more meat gum and a melon soda from the store down the way. Taking the long way back meant less time enduring the bear demon, and more time to enjoy her freedom. She sipped on the soda as she walked down a side street making a wide U to get back to the shopping area. 

The tinny clatter of a toppled trash can hooked in her ears. She listened, focusing on her sense of hearing in that direction. An angry voice cleared out of the muck of surrounding noise in a tone that did not belong in public. She hurried forward two streets and stopped at an alleyway. Cut into the side of a building at the shadowed end dropped a dark, seedy-looking staircase leading to an underground establishment. A worn out blue awning covered the entrance with the words 'Que Cera Cera' in roman lettering painted in cursive across the front. Three older college students and one middle schooler occupied the small open square. The middle schooler was getting back to his feet, and the trash can that caught her attention lay sideways nearby. They weren't from the Yasogami group, but even if she didn't recognize them, she recognized the situation. 

They were bullies. And she hated bullies. 

“Hey! Cut it out!” She ran toward them without thinking and squeezed herself between the taller boys and the kid. Her mind flared with a sense of 'danger,' but she pushed it back. There was no way she would stand by and let this happen. “Yo, you all just back off!”

“Who the hell are you?” One in a gray sweater and white skull cap barked. How dare this little brat interfere with their fun.

“You think you're all badasses for picking on somebody who's half your size?” she snarled. “Aren't you ashamed of yourselves for ganging up on a kid?” She held out one arm as a shield in front of the smaller boy.

“Huh,” the middle teen seemed slightly amused, and gave off an air of 'pack leader.' “This hound's givin' up lip.”

“Chill out, you little bitch, or we'll do it for you,” the same gray-sweatered teen leaned forward. 

“Fine,” Chie held her ground. “Go ahead and punch me if you think beating me up makes you feel like men. All I ask is that you leave this kid alone, ok?” She stared the leader down, putting her anger and determination into her voice. In this back-alley, she could use her bufu skill and not draw too much attention. Explaining how ice came from nowhere to the kid she was protecting would be problematic, though. She'd cover that later. Right now, she faced down an alpha, and she couldn't afford to show him any weakness. The yokai power within her burned a comfortable cold at her fingertips, ready for action.

He stared back. That kid's brother owed him money. Whether it was today or tomorrow, he'd find a way to 'convince' the older sibling to pay up. He admired her bravery –whoever she was—but she was disrupting his tactic. “Tch,” he broke contact. “Whatever. You're not worth my time.” With a nod to his two comrades, he turned around to walk away. “This isn't any fun.”

“Yeah,” the one in gray mumbled. “She's annoying anyway.”

She watched them go, never blinking. Part of her knew what she had just done was risky. As soon as they were around the corner, she exhaled. Her heart pounded from the adrenaline rush of fear. Even though she was a dog demon, taking on three at once was pushing her skills. She glanced back to the boy clutching his notebook to his chest. “It's ok. They're gone.”

“Thanks for doing that,” he mumbled, still shaken from the attack. 

She nodded with a disarming smile. 

Free, the kid stepped back, bowed lightly, and ran out of the alley to the safety of the open street and the protective populace beyond. 

Chie relaxed, puffing out a breath. Hopefully the kid would get home without encountering those goons again. It was a good thing the others didn't see her pull that 'hero' move. They'd think she was out of her mind for picking a fight with three bigger, stronger boys. Perhaps being an animal demon had made her a little too overconfident. 

A white blur of motion at the head of the alley caught her eye. Had someone been spying on her? She'd been so focused on the bullies that she hadn't notice anyone else. Curious, she rounded the corner back to the street and stopped. Her suspicions weren't wrong. “Hm?” she began, trying not to sound as nerve wracked from her experience as she felt. “Hey. How long have you been here?” 

There, wearing an orange sweater and staring at her intently, was her watcher --a white shiba inu with red eyes. 

Besides the sweater, the dog wore an unusual collar that more resembled headphones than a pet accessory. She crouched down to scratch the dog's soft ears. “Did you see all that, boy? Pretty cool, huh?” 

The dog whined in an agreeing way and barked once. His action caused a small name tag to jingle just under the odd collar. 

Chie turned it slightly with two fingers. “Your name is Koromaru. I figured you belonged to someone with that sweater and all.”

Koromaru barked again and sniffed at a small plastic bag that dangled from the crook of her arm. 

“Oh, you want a treat?” She removed it to dig around for the stick of beef jerky she'd purchased before walking down this side street. Her prize found, she broke off a piece and held it out. 

The dog sniffed it, then her hand, then turned his intent, studious gaze back to her face. 

They remained locked eye to eye for several moments before Koromaru suddenly snatched the entire bag from her hand and took off down the street like he'd been fired from a canon.

“Hey! Give that back!” Chie sprinted after him, using her animal demon speed to keep up. She managed to stay within five feet of him. “Stop!” This pup was fast, and that meant she had to be faster. Growling in determination to get her precious meat snacks back, she put her animal demon skills to use. She'd catch him no matter what it took. A part of her mind screamed at her not to run this quickly in public, but the other part –the one screaming 'my snacks!'– disagreed. 

She jumped over the hood of a car, landing in a skid, and sped down a small side street, weaving around trash cans and people. 

Thankfully, the dog darted into a nearby park away from the masses. Good. She could really haul ass and catch the thief. Chie caught up to him in a vacant playground in seconds. She grasped for him repeatedly, but he dodged, leaping from side to side while the pilfered bag swayed from his jaws. “Give it back! It's mine!” 

Koromaru ran between the wide bars of a two-level cube jungle gym. He yipped when her hand flashed out faster than he could blink and latched onto his prize. His eyes narrowed at he growled threateningly. 

She growled back, keeping a firm hold on the bag, and using the bar near her head as leverage by her other hand. To hell if she would be intimidated by a dog that barely reached her knees. 

She pulled.

He pulled back.

“Hand over the goods, fleabag.” She yanked with all of her might, careful not to rip the bag. 

Koromaru whimpered and suddenly let go. 

“Wah!” Chie fell back with a hard 'thud' against the sand. Finally the victor, she stood and brushed herself off, then checked the bag. Every delicious, meaty item was accounted for. And the bag sustained very little damage. They made plastic bags tough these days. She clutched the goods tightly. “See if I give you anything now.” She snarled and turned to leave him forever in the playground in the old jungle gym when a series of familiar sounds froze her in mid step. Shock burned through her nerves. Slowly, she turned to stare at the k-9. Those were understandable syllables, and nothing close to a dog bark. “What did you say?”

Koromaru sat on his haunches and stared back. He glanced left, then right, confirmed they were alone by sniffing the air, then dropped the act. 

Chie stared, stunned, as the dog morphed within a swirl of energy similar to hers and her friends. It lasted mere seconds, but the end result was clear. 

Standing on the sand as high as Yosuke in his native form was a barefoot boy with short, messy white hair bearing the ears of a shiba inu. His tail curled out from beneath the orange sweater –which now reached his knees. The collar changed with him so it fit perfectly around his neck. She was sure beneath the sweater, he wasn't wearing any pants. “I said,” the boy's velvety-soft ears twitched in irritation in his high tenor voice, “I don't have fleas.”

“No way,” Her jaw dropped, and very nearly the snack bag. “Y-you're an animal demon?” She hadn't expected to run into a denizen of the Shadow World here, especially outside of Inaba. But she wasn't hallucinating. He was completely real, and looking up at her with confidence despite their significant height difference.

“What are you doing in Iwatodai?” He stepped forward beneath the bar, leaving two inches of clearance between it and his ears. The pressure from his feet barely dimpled the sand. “How did you get here? We sealed the portal three years ago.” He'd thought the situation with the Shadows was long over. Yet here she was, another creature like himself –the first one he'd seen in years.

“Portal?” She blinked, momentarily still stunned at the plot twist to her day. “What are you talking about? I took the train.”

“So there's a new one at the train station,” he mused, already plotting how to track it down and to tell the others of his group. 

“What? No. That's wrong.” Regardless, this little dog wasn't going to get to her. She held her ground, folded her arms, and stared him down. “Look, fluffy—“

“Koromaru.”

“...Koromaru... I don't know anything about what you're talking about. I just want to know why you ran off with my snacks?” Losing her food supply twice in less than twenty-four hours would be completely unacceptable. 

He stopped. Clearly, he was dealing with an alpha. Though he, himself, held that title here, he had no reason to fight her. She wasn't infringing in on his territory, and she was cute. “I wanted to talk to you. That seemed the best way to get your attention. I need to know why you're in my city.”

With the sense of 'attack' diminishing, she lowered her arms and relaxed a little. “Oh. You could have just asked me.”

His tail dipped a little from the stupidity in that sentence. “Of course. Because changing forms in front of someone I wasn't one-hundred percent sure on was a good idea. I made you chase me, because I needed you to prove you weren't Human.”

“Right, I guess that makes sense,” She had to concede to the ignorance in her own statement. “It's been a long day, ok?”

“So, are you going to answer my question?”

“I'm here on a school trip from Inaba.”

He blinked, then quickly climbed up three sections of the jungle gym to be at eye level with her. “Never heard of it.” 

“No one really has,” she answered with a smirk of knowing how isolated that small town is. “It's kind of in the middle of nowhere. It's really more like a rest stop on a road trip than an actual town.” 

“So, that's it? Just a school trip?”

“Yup. That's it. Just a dumb, boring series of lectures.” Shifting gears, she dug through the bag and held out a strip of beef jerky. “Here. You can have it if you want.”

Koromaru sniffed it, then took the treat in both hands and nibbled. “So you left the rest of your class to pick a fight with college guys?” he said between bites around a mouth full of food. 

“Nah,” she munched on her own treat. “I was on my way back to meet up with my friends when I saw what they were doing to that kid. I couldn't just turn my back. I hate bullies.” 

“I saw the way you handled those guys. I've had run-ins with them before.”

“You know those losers?” 

He shook his head. “One of my closest friends did. I know them now. They're neanderthalic rock-heads.” He turned a serious, needle-sharp unblinking look that pierced through her. “You could have been hurt, especially if you'd shown your power.”

She frowned at the little dog-boy. “I had it under control.” 

“Could have fooled me.” He climbed higher until he was sitting on top of the metal structure. 

She wasn't about to be insulted by an albino yokai that reached her knees. “I'm still new to the game.”

“Clearly.” He tipped the remaining hunk of jerky at her like a pointer. “That's a newbie mistake. You must have just been named.” 

She climbed the bars, hooking the bag in the hock of her elbow. “We all have to start somewhere, Judgy McJudgerson.” 

His tone laced with annoyance. “My name is Koromaru.”

“I know. It's on your tag,” she answered dryly. “And that was a joke.” She sat next to him “My name's Chie, by the way.” 

He watched her take a seat on the bar, and went back to finishing the snack. 

“Wow. I didn't know any other animal demons were here. I though we were it. Wait till I tell the others.”

“There aren't. I'm it. And what do you mean, 'we?”

“Oh, yeah there are three more with me. They're my friends.”

“How is that possible? You shouldn't even be on this side.” 

“That's easy. I'm not from that world. And I could ask the same thing about you.” 

His tail swished the air, showing a sudden new interest in her story. The worry and sadness he felt at the revelation leaked out in a small whimper. This could be the beginning of history repeating itself. “All of you?”

She sighed. “Just me. It's complicated.”

He simply looked up at her and his lip twitched into a smile at the memories of his own life. “You'd be surprised how easily I can understand 'complicated.'”

She glanced around, looped the bag through the handles around the bar so it dangled off to the side, then let herself return to her animal-demon form and size. “I'm actually a Human...or, well, I used to be.”

Koromaru's curiosity about this strange dog-demon piqued. The sense she gave off was strong. She was powerful, but innocent at the same time. “Do you maybe want to clear that up a little?”

She ran her hand through her hair over her ears. “There was this ray gun thing that I got caught in that turned me into this, and this other dog demon that controls it—who we're pretty sure is involved in a murder case, but we can't go to the police about it because no one would believe us. My best friend gave me my name back, and now I'm bound to her and I'm stuck like this. My friends and I are on a mission to catch the criminal responsible for the murders, and return me to normal. Honestly, it all still seems really bizarre to me. Sometimes, I feel like I'm caught in a dream.”

“A machine that changes the nature of ones existence...” he whispered. His ears tipped back. Even if the events of his past weren't put on replay, the truth remained: someone else out there had come up with the same idea. 

“Wait,” she planted both hands on the wide metal bar. “You've heard of something like this before?”

He nodded. “Once, but it was destroyed in an explosion. Everything about it was erased, including the scientist who created it.”

“Oh,” she sighed in defeat. “Nuts. I was hoping you could tell me something about it. We really have no leads.”

He dug into the bag for another treat blatantly without asking, and was surprised she didn't argue. “Do you have a creation mark?”

“A what-a-what?” She took out a bit of meat to nibble on, too. 

“A creation mark. Every animal demon has one.”

“What's that?”

“It's a marking that matches a mark somewhere on the body of the person they came from.” He answered smoothly. “It's very rare if it shows up in the same spot.”

“Oh. Nope. No weird marks that I know of. Why do you ask?” 

He stood and began pacing along the bars with his arms out for balance, carefully placing one bare foot in front of the other and gripping the bar with his toes. “Just a theory. I didn't know if they showed up on other animal demons who weren't aspects. Now I know they don't.” 

Her eyes lit up. “Oh, hey! I remember Yukiko said something about animal demons being 'soul aspects' of people. I didn't really get it. How do you lose a part of your soul? Wouldn't you know it was gone? It's all pretty deep.” She munched on the dried meat. “So, what are you?”

He stopped, stared at her, and frankly stated, “I'm a dog.” 

“...I get that, but what are you? Someone's sarcasm? Heroic side? Obviously not someone's sense of humor.”

“I'm a dog. I started out that way. I don't have a creation mark, either.” He went back to balancing on the metal beams, warm beneath his bare feet. “And my Bonded didn't have much of a sense of humor. It was pretty dry.”

The unexpected news make her spring to her feet. Balancing on the wide bars at this size was simple. “Whoa, so you're like me! What happened?”

“It's a long story.” 

She paused when one of his statements refused to leave her. “What do you mean 'was?'”

He looked up at the sky, then down to the remaining jerky in his tiny hands. The memories flashed hot as though they happened yesterday and not three years ago. “I made a promise to him before he disappeared that I would guard our friends with my life. I swore to make sure what we all went through wouldn't happen again.”

Her eyes widened and her idle tail swishing stilled. “Disappeared? You mean...” her heart skipped in terror at the idea, “...your bonded is...”

“He's not dead.” The white shiba yokai snapped at her. The look in his red eyes brushed aside her dark assumption. “He's alive. I know he is. The bond is still there. I can feel it. That's why I won't fail on my promise. That's why I know he'll come back.” 

“Koromaru...” Chie didn't know what to say. Here was a strong animal demon left alone with one last command from someone he may never see again. She felt sorry for him, but also inspired. He was incredibly loyal –a strong trait in his breed that carried over into his animal demon form, which she now knew –like her—was not his natural state. 

His ears picked up the subtle crunching of leaves beneath shoes approaching in the distance. He balanced perfectly on the gray metal bar. “Guard her with your life. You can survive without them, but you'll ask yourself every day why you do.” In a few swings, he was down on the ground.

Chie returned to normal Human size, untied the bag, and dropped easily to the sand within the metal skeleton of the play equipment. She sifted through the bag and offered him the rest of the jerky. “Here. You can have it.”

He took it. He was smart enough to see her offer of solidarity and friendship in the simple gesture. “Thanks. Good luck finding your murderer.” 

She watched him transformed back into a dog and start to walk away. “Koromaru.”

He stopped to look back, and was glad to see her smile in reassurance.

“I hope you find him.”

He barked softly around the plastic in his mouth protecting the jerky, and headed off into the dusk. 

Moments later, Yu stepped into the giant sandbox of the playground and looked over at his friend caged within the jungle gym like a bird. “Chie. Are you ok?”

Her attention caught by her friend, she grinned. “I'm ok, now.”

“Now?”

She climbed out of the equipment. “I had a run in with some guys earlier, but I'm fine.”

“I see. I know you can handle yourself, but you have to be careful, ok? I depend on you, too.”

That shocked her – hearing that he depended on her. She felt more needed, and in a small way, she adopted Koromaru's promise to look out for her friends with even more strength. “I will.”

He nodded in acceptance. “Yukiko wanted to try out a cafe in the mall that's supposed to have coffee that increases your charisma, or something to that effect. We're meeting everyone there.”

She scrunched up her nose. “I hate coffee, and she knows it.” 

“It's not so bad.” He stopped when she paused to take another look at the park, and remembered spotting someone with her very briefly when he approached. “Who was that?”

She glanced back at the jungle gym as the evening wind tossed up leaves that scuttled across the vacant playground, now filled with memories and new knowledge. She smiled. “Just a friend.”

They headed out of the park as the sun lowered in the sky. Tomorrow, they'd return home. “I heard there's a nightclub next door to the cafe.”

“Really?” Chie stretched her arms over her head. “Cool. That sounds like something Rise would like to see. She always seems like such a social bunny. We should check it out.”


	40. 40th Scent: The Fog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naoto's mother enjoys teasing her with her favorite nickname. The investigation team reaches a decision on moving forward with finding Mitsuo, and a tragic accident threatens to change the life of one of the team forever. (You're going to hate me for this.)

40th SCENT: THE FOG

_Monday. September 26th. 7am. Shirogane estate._

A lazy song on the radio filled the kitchen with its relaxed beat, perfect to wake up to, but not too much bass pump to handle at sunrise. 

Naoto listened, half awake, as she sat on the kitchen counter near the window eating scrambled eggs and bacon from a saucer resting across her tiny lap. Her slim tail swished slowly in show of her weariness. She yawned and crunched down on a strip of crispy bacon. 

Kaori Shirogane looked out the kitchen window at the yard, covered in a thick sheet of gray rain. “This is the second day it's been raining like this.” She set the small frying pan in the drying rack and wiped her hands off on a hand towel. “The fog is going to set in once it lets up. Driving to work in that is going to be a pain.” She glanced down to the little cat demon polishing off breakfast with her claws. “Are you sure you don't want a ride to school, Naoto?”

Naoto's head bobbed slightly in a nod. “I'm sure.”

She tossed the other a knowing glance. “Kanji is walking with you again today, isn't he.”

“...” Naoto faltered, her ears twitching, then nodded again. She speared some eggs on her claws and ate.

Her mother hummed in amusement. “That boy's been coming over to pick you up a lot lately.”

“I know you've already looked into his background, or you wouldn't have let him come over even once to walk with me.” Naoto stated. She shoved the rest of the bacon strip in her mouth.

“You know me too well, then. I'd expect nothing less from the great Detective Prince.” She lightly pushed down Naoto's soft ears. “He seemed like a good kid when I met him the same day I met you. I'm happy you have such a good friend in him, Noot.”

Naoto set the plate down and stood, stretching. Her ears twitched at the old nickname. “Mom, I thought we agreed not to call me that. It makes me sound like a lizard. I'm a cat.” 

“Right,” Kaori chuckled. “Of course, Noot.” 

“Mom,” Naoto whined. 

She picked up the little cat demon and set her on the floor. “Change back and go brush your teeth.” 

Energy swirled around Naoto as she transformed in mid walk from a 12” tall cat demon to a Human, and did as she was told. 

Kaori sipped on a cup of coffee and watched her go, then sighed. She missed the days when Naoto would follow her around, ask questions, and get lost in the study –or rather engaged in serious exploration of every corner of the study. She kept up the morning routine of breakfast to give Naoto a sense of family. It was one of the few times she could just have a one-on-one moment with her girl.

Her girl... Those were hopeful words she hadn't had the chance to say until adopting Naoto into the family. Her mother, and Takashi's father were deliberately kept in the dark about Naoto's existence. They both knew as quality ace detectives, that their surviving parents wouldn't rest until they'd discovered every last shred of information about the little cat-girl. Her mother's methodology was strict, serious, and would incorporate questioning and isolating Naoto. There was no way she was going to let someone as insanely controlling as her mother gain a new victim in the form of Naoto's life. Detective Shirogane wasn't any better. He was a true hard-boiled detective, though he was a little less cold, and more likely to accept the idea of the family successor being a Yokai. 

Yet despite these familial dangers, Kaori held confidence that, in time, her small family member would someday win them over. Naoto was cunning, intelligent, and capable of pulling off the most adorable shiney-eyes innocent face she'd ever seen. Someday she would tell the family. Just not any time soon. 

These breakfast moments wouldn't last forever, so Kaori held 'forever' within these precious mornings. 

“The Tatsumi boy is here, Ma'am,” Tami, the housekeeper, poked her head into the kitchen to let her know. 

“Thank you, Tami.” Kaori set down the mug as she saw Naoto shrug on her school jacket while walking by. She left the kitchen to easily catch up, and spotted Kanji waiting on the stone step. His open clear umbrella rested lazily on his shoulder, pinned there by his hands shoved into pockets. Rainy days were the only time she saw him actually wear his uniform jacket, rather than leave it tied around his waist.

Naoto removed her hat from a hook near the door and placed it over her head, hiding her navy blue ears. “I have some ideas about the Morooka murder case I'd like to run by you if you have time today.”

“I always have time for you. Come by the station after school.”

“Actually, can we talk when you get home?” Naoto braved. “I've got something planned after school.” Having a social life beyond the station was relatively new to her since meeting the others.

“With your friends?”

She nodded. “We're just getting together at Junes.” She deliberately neglected to mention the part about going through the giant television in the electronics department to pick fights with Shadows on the other side. 

Kaori agreed. After all, getting her little animal demon to matriculate into society was part of parenting. “Have fun. I'll be home late tonight.” 

“I'll come by the station, then. See you later, mom.” Naoto pushed open her own umbrella and ducked into the torrent peppering the driveway. 

“I'll have hot chocolate ready to go, Noot. It'll be a 'case night.' We haven't had one of those in a week.” 

Naoto's shoulders stiffened as she cringed at the name. “Mom...”

“Noot?” Kanji poked with a mischievous grin that he'd gained something new to call her. “Huh. Kinda weird. I like it. It fits you.”

“Kanji, no.”

“Too late.”

Kaori laughed, closed the door as the two kids walked away, and went to prepare for her day wearing a slight smile. Bonding over case files with hot chocolate and theories; What an odd family she had. She wouldn't have it any other way. 

* * * *  
_4pm. Junes food court._

Just as Kaori predicted, the fog settled in immediately after the rain stopped an hour earlier. It was thicker than anyone had seen in a while. 

The team took up a long table at the back of the food court per their usual spot. Trays of food sat in front of each of them. Chie scarfed down a beef stick while Yosuke munched on a burger, trying to keep Teddie's grasping paws away from his meal.

Yukiko sipped on her cup of melon soda. “Did anyone else find that last exam easy?”

Yu glanced to his friends, who all wore sullen expressions, and refrained from agreeing with her. It wasn't worth the social back lash. 

Rise picked at the french fries on her plate. “It's been over two months, and we haven't seen anything on the Midnight Channel. I mean, it's been rainy and foggy since then a lot, and nothing's happened. Maybe they gave up.” Their silence triggered her defense mode. “Hey, everyone was thinking it. Just thought I'd say it.”

“Yeah,” Kanji tore a bite from his own burger. “The last person was King Moron, and he never showed up on that crazy channel.”

They all knew it's reappearance was a possibility due to the fact that Mitsuo and his Bonded were still at large. This lull meant they were likely repairing the weapon Yu's Persona damaged in the fight with Yukiko's Shadow. 

They'd attempted to find evidence in this world to pin Mitsuo to the murders, but everything they had wouldn't be taken seriously by anyone outside their small circle. No one believed in the world of the Animal Demons. Even if they could bring Mitsuo in, the case wouldn't hold up in a court of law. They needed a confession, which Mitsuo wasn't about to give, and if he did, they would lose their chance to find his Bonded, and get the real story.

Nevertheless, they all watched for it every night it rained. She and the others knew that if another person were to go missing, it would be during bad weather as it had been with Miss Yamano, Saki, Rise, and Yukiko. 

Whenever they had a chance to get together after school during the past week and a half, they would go through the portal in the giant television set to the Shadow world—the Red World. They would spend short bursts of time, an hour or two, searching carefully for Shadows to fight for the purpose of honing their skills. Maya were always the ones to attack first. If they were going to bring down a someone capable of ending a life, they needed to be prepared for a confrontation. 

“That is something that bothered me about Morooka's murder.” Naoto picked up her cup and sipped from the straw. “Miss Yamano, Saki, Rise and Yukiko were shown on the news before they went missing. Aside from Rise and Yukiko, the others met with that weapon and their death. Morooka didn't gain media attention, nor did he go missing.” She looked to the group. “I didn't get a chance to tell you before now, but there were inconsistencies with the corpse.” 

“Huh?” Yosuke piped up. “What do you mean?”

“No abnormalities were found on Morooka's body.”

“Morooka wasn't a victim of the transformation weapon?” Yu speculated. 

Yosuke thought on this a moment. “Either Mitsuo never fired the weapon at him, or he missed...”

Yukiko leaned forward in thought, her heart heavy with this new realization, and the fear that came with it. “Or someone else flat out murdered Mr. Morooka. Why?”

“Maybe he had enemies we don't know about,” Rise suggested. 

“Or,” Chie began slowly, “Maybe he was a distraction?”

Everyone's attention turned to her, which instantly made her want to crawl under the table. “What? Did I say something wrong?” 

“No,” Naoto mused. “I think you might be on to something. Trying to find two killers is enough to keep the police busy. The real killer—the one throwing people into the t.v. and controlling that machine—is who we're after.”

“Mitsuo,” Yosuke growled low and soft. Were his ears visible, they'd be flat.

Kanji balled his fist. “That's it. I've had it up to hear with that little shit. I don't care what he said at the festival. If he's behind these murders, we need to drag a confession out of him and call the cops.”

“I feel the same way,” Naoto said. “But all his Bonded has to do is order him not to speak, and he won't. It's impossible to disobey a direct command.”

“She's right,” Yosuke added casually. “I've tried.”

“Then we get to him before she can do that,” Teddie said resolutely, paused, then let fall a sheepish grin. “If she hasn't already done it, that is.”

“Why would she?” Yukiko gestured lightly. “She has no reason to. Mitsuo can't be questioned by the cops, and if he is, then he'll just be seen as crazy.”

Yosuke swallowed his bite of food. “I agree with Teddie for once. If we don't stop him, someone else could end up like Saki. I won't let that happen.” He clenching his fingers around the burger, causing juices to drip to the plate. 

“But how do we get him to confess to murder? And get other people to believe him?” Yukiko set up the question like a bomb that silenced them all. 

No one spoke for a good thirty seconds. 

“It's a shame we can't block or cut through that bond,” Kanji grumped as he picked up a handful of fries. “She'd have no power over him if she couldn't get anything through.”

Naoto shivered. “That would be like hell. I don't know if he'd be capable of thinking straight. It might drive him crazy.”

Yosuke leaned back, the anger gone from his voice. What came out surprised even him. “We talk to him.” He regarded the occupants of the table with an potent seriousness. “We can talk some sense into him. He's one of us. He has to know that what he's doing isn't right. If we can make him see that—“

Naoto interrupted. “You didn't see him at the Festival. You didn't look into his hollow eyes. He enjoys what he's doing, and sees himself as a servant to his bonded.”

“But that's wrong. We're not servants.” 

“He won't listen to reason.” 

“I can get through to the dog demon he used to be—”

“Yosuke—“

“I know I can make him understand.”

“Stop it, Yosuke!” Naoto snapped, slamming her hands on the table as she stood. “He's been poisoned by his Human! All of his actions leave no doubt that he's a dangerous criminal with no remorse for what he's done! Why do you still have hope?”

The fox stared at her for a moment, though his voice never raised. “Why don't you?”

She backed off a little, staring at him. 

“He was our friend, Naoto. He risked his life to save us and almost got eaten by a Maya because of that.” 

“Yosuke,” she began, in shock at this strong sense of hope. 

“I just... I just feel like I have to guard hope, even when I think there's nothing left.”

The strength in those words mirrored the sense of duty within her. That must be the command left to him by the silver-haired man. Like her she knew he couldn't fight it. It was a part of himself, just like finding the truth was a part of her. She admired his foolish dedication, but knew that it was just that; foolish. “He's not the same anymore, Yosuke. Mitsuo is too damaged. He can't be changed. The dog demon we knew... is gone.”

The space filled with an awkward silence sprinkled by the sounds of the food court. 

Yosuke abruptly stood, stared them down, exhaled, and walked away. He didn't respond when she called his name. He just walked to the stairs leading to the next floor down to home décor, and disappeared. 

Everyone felt heavy from the presence left in his wake. Though they tried, none of them could think of what to say. Except Teddie. “So...are we still going after him?”

Rise sighed, planting her hand on her bear's head. 

Chie slowly finished chewing on her snack and swallowed. “I still think Kanji's right. We're stronger than we were before.”

“So, we are going after him,” Teddie repeated. 

“What do you think, Leader?” Kanji turned to the silent one in the group. 

Yu locked his eyes on the can of soda cupped in both hands the whole time, then to the group. “We should stop him before someone else gets hurt.”

“All right!” Chie stretched her arms over her head. “Let's go get this guy and bring him to justice.”

“Not here,” Naoto said. “We have to wait for him to cross the boundary. We have to apprehend him over there.”

“On his turf?” Kanji groaned. “It's not gonna to be easy. How are we gonna know when he's over there?”

Teddie pressed his hand on the ruffles of his shirt over his heart in confident pride. “You're forgetting what charming, influential bear calls you Humans 'friends.' I have plenty of connections in my world. I was the leader, after all.”

“Good idea, Teddie,” Rise beamed. “You can ask the others to keep an eye out for Mitsuo, and if they see him, to report to us.” 

Teddie glowed from the feeling of usefulness. “The next time we go, I'll make it my top priority.”

“Until then, we should keep watching for the Midnight Channel,” Yukiko suggested, “just in case.”

“Sounds good. Thank you, Teddie.” Yu stood. “I'm going to tell Yosuke the new plan, then we can go.” He left the group, trusting them to iron out the small details while he was away.

Yu walked through the home décor department looking for his friend. He paused in front of a tall pile of multicolored bath towels towered head high on a corner display shelf in the 'sale' area. A cluster of bath mats were set as an 'L' divider next to it that created a nook of bargains. 

He crouched down and moved two white towels that looked like they'd simply toppled over instead of being unsettled by a 15” tall creature. The fox demon was a master at finding places to hide. Thanks to the soul bond, finding him was a simple matter. “Nice hiding spot, little guy.”

Yosuke sat on a fluffy pile of orange fabric with his knees drawn up into the circle of his arms and his tail curled around his ankles. 

Yu moved over and sat on a discounted, stained “as is” beanbag chair next to it on the floor. He leaned over to rest his elbows on his knees. “Why did you walk off?”

Yosuke's ears lowered slightly. “Is it wrong that I want to punch Mitsuo instead of save him, but I still want to save him?”

Yu listened. 

“I mean, he killed Saki. He threw her into the t.v. and used that weapon on her,” the fox growled, shifting to a crosslegged position and gripped the cotton towel fabric in both hands. “I want to rip his throat out. I want to wrap my hands around his neck and squeeze until he turns blue. I want to—”

“Kill him?” Yu uttered softly.

Yosuke looked up at the face of his Human, expecting a frown of disappointment and anger, followed by a verbal reprimand. But he didn't see damning judgment. He only saw patience and calm –a feeling he'd become so used to, it was like it belonged to him instead. His grip loosened, but he lowered his head in shame to stare at the thick weave of his seat cushion. “That makes me a horrible person. I shouldn't want to kill anyone, but I...I just want to hurt him for what he did to Saki.” He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair between his ears. “I don't know what I was saying back there. I know he can't be changed. Why did I defend him? Is there something wrong with me?”

“You said you felt like you had to find hope no matter what.” Yu said. 

“Yeah.”

“You've—“ He snapped his attention quickly to the sound of approaching footsteps. A small group of students had made their way to the sale section and were chattering softly while browsing the bins and shelves. He quickly removed his phone and shifted on the beanbag so his body hid the small animal demon in the towels. 

Yosuke blinked up at the large gold buttons on the back of his uniform jacket. 

He held the phone to his ear. “You've said that before. When you were sick, you said you needed to guard hope in any situation. I have a theory, if you'll listen.” He sent a quick eye flick to the people perusing the discounted goods, trying to send the message that he was on an important call and needed some privacy. 

Yosuke understood speaking right now would be a stupid move, so instead he reached out and tugged on the fabric of his Human's jacket. 

Signal received, Yu continued speaking quietly into the phone, knowing full well that the fox's attuned hearing would easily detect his voice. “When you first got here, you said the last thing the silver haired man said to you was 'stay here until you're claimed.' Naoto was left with a command to find the truth, but hers makes sense to her personality. Yours bothered me because it never did. I don't think that's the final thing you were meant to hold on to.” He paused, glancing up at the lights in the ceiling briefly. “I think the one about hope is.”

But that was a feeling, a sense, something that pushed for recognition... His eyes widened slightly as the insight sent a brief, paralyzing shock through him. Yu was right. The one thing driving many of his decisions was a simple feeling to guard what little hope he could find. But why was he bringing this up now? What good would a command like that do except cause him confusion?

“You agree so far?” A long pause lingered before he felt another tug on his jacket. “Then you can see the reason behind your need to help him.” He looked up a the group as they slowly meandered away. “I could be wrong, though. It's just an idea.”

Yosuke bit his lip, then softly squeaked out in acceptance, “Doesn't mean I have to like it.” 

Yu shifted on the bean bag as the people left them alone and pocketed the phone. “It could be worse.” 

“Don't say that, dorkface,” Yosuke tossed a hand towel up at him.

Yu caught it, amused, and stood. He took in the space to make sure the area around them was void of any other living thing. “It's clear. Ready to rejoin the group?”

Yosuke slid off the towels and returned to Human form. “I take it we're going after him anyway?” he mumbled. 

Yu nodded. “But first, we need to take Teddie through the t.v. to see a spy.”

“Cryptic, but ok.” The two left the sales section and headed back for the rooftop. “Tell me Chie didn't eat the rest of my burger.”

“You've been gone for ten minutes. I wouldn't hold hope in this particular case.”

Yosuke socked him in the shoulder. Why did his precious hamburger have to suffer the wrath of the Meat Queen?

“Why the towels?” Yu asked.

Yosuke shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I like the towels,” he answered casually. What he kept to himself was that they reminded him of home; not the Hanamuras' house, but the Dojimas'. Specifically the bed neatly created from two folded towels for cushioning, and a small blanket for warmth tucked into the open bottom drawer of the dresser in Yu's room.

They met with the rest on the rooftop, gathered their things, and embarked on their eighth journey into the television.

* * * *  
_7pm. Inaba Dispatch._

“Yasoinaba 119.”

“Yeah. I just saw a car accident.”

“What is your location, sir?”

“Near the southern bridge on the Junes side.”

“Can you describe the vehicles?”

“There's just one. It's a four door silver sedan. Looked pretty new. It's really foggy out here. I saw the tail lights flare up like they were slamming on their brakes. They swerved, hit the railing, and then nothing.”

“Are you at the scene now?”

“I'm driving up to it. I'm doing that right now. Jesus, it's wrapped around a telephone pole. Get an ambulance out here!”

“They're on their way, sir. Please stay calm. What is your name?” 

“Taro. Taro Namatame.”

“Do you see anyone in the vehicle?”

“Yes. A man and a woman. Both are unconscious. There's a lot of blood.”

“Do not move either one of them. Help is on the way.”

“Ok.”

Dispatched clicked over to a separate line. “Officers report to a crash on Route 5, sector G. Single car accident. Multiple victims.”

“Detective Fujiwara responding. I'm close by. ETA five minutes,” came a woman's voice over the waves.

Nametame hung up the phone and turned on the flashers of his delivery truck so the paramedics could easily find them in the murky brume. He crouched down next to the wreckage, and worried his face with his hands. His fingers raked through his hair, digging into his scalp, and he cursed out loud. Since he'd made the call to emergency services, he was obligated to stay, though he didn't want to. The sight of blood made him ill, and the man's chest was covered in it where the steering wheel impacted his ribs. The lifeless form of the brunette woman leaned against the cracked window of the passenger's side. Crimson streaks smeared at the impact point and slowly drew their fingers down the glass. Her blue blouse and cream-colored pencil skirt were moist with steadily darkening blood that dripped into a pool forming on the seat. 

The airbags were still intact. They'd failed to deploy. 

He gagged, turned away and cursed repeatedly at his own weakness. The anger within him exploded in a hard punch to the side of his own truck. That last delivery took too much time. He should have been in this area sooner. Had he arrived even a minute earlier, he could have done something to keep this from happening, maybe blocked the bridge so they'd have to stop before they crossed it. It wasn't supposed to end like this. He needed to save them. But he couldn't save either of them. He'd failed. 

Sirens blared in the distant chill followed by the melting of blue and red lights filtered through the fog. 

Steaming brown liquid dribbled from a toppled pair of to-go coffee cups from Cafe Jun, thrown from their holders in the crash. A third yellow cup remained clenched in the woman's hand, and blood from her head wound dripped onto the white lid. Her muscles tightened around the cup holding its contents as though it held her life. They quivered, then relaxed with her nerves, and her fingers slid slightly to reveal the name scribbled in black marker on the side:

_Noot._

The cup and the life it held hit the floor.


	41. 41st Scent: Gone Are The Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naoto finds out what happened to her parents.  
> (Get a box of tissues ready. You're going to hate me for this one.)

41st SCENT: GONE ARE THE DAYS

_September 26th. Monday. 8pm. Inaba Police Station..._

Naoto walked through the sliding front doors of the station and greeted the reception room with a yawn, squinting her eyes as she walked by the front desk. She and her friends had spent three hours laying low as they searched for the animal demons. Shigeru, the raccoon demon, said the Reaper was in the area, and gave them a warning to be careful. 

Her eyes drooped from fatigue enough that she didn't notice the officer at the front desk watching her with the expression of someone barely holding back a serious secret. 

“Naoto,” Officer Saito's normally welcoming baritone voice held a serious timbre to it that made her stop. 

No matter how late, he always offered an upbeat 'hello,' and maybe a bad pun or two to coax a smile from her. This specific tone within the office environment was out of his nature. He didn't sound tired from a long day of work. He sounded almost...sad. Her instincts fired into play as her eyes scanned his expression. Something was very wrong. “Sergeant?”

“Detective Fujiwara wants to talk to you. She's waiting for you upstairs.”

She tried to find the answer in his sullen face, but finally broke contact and walked up the stairs. Everyone she passed in the hall held a gloomy aura that deepened when she walked by. The click of her own shoes were too loud against the floor. Even the florescent lights in the ceiling weren't bright enough to push back the darkness settled in the station.

She pushed open the door to the detectives' division, and walked calmly to the back near the windows. The door to the private office of the Chief of Police gaped open. When she stepped inside, the person sitting in one of the two guest chairs was not whom she expected. “Detective?”

“Naoto,” Ayaka Fujiwara tried to smile, but failed. “Close the door, please.” 

All of the detectives pulling late-nighters, including Ryotaro Dojima, fixed their attention on their cat demon as she casually close the fogged glass door. A heart-aching anticipation hung in the air, for each of them knew the conversation that would take place. 

“What's with everyone?” Naoto began. “They're acting weird all of the sudden.”

“There's something I need to tell you. It'll be on the news soon, but I feel you should hear it from us first. Sit down, please.” Ayaka gestured to the chair next to her. 

Naoto settled into her seat, instantly noting the appearance of the other. Ayaka's normally neat ponytail at the nape of her neck was disheveled, evident by the loosened hair that escaped the black hair-tie. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her warm smile faded. Naoto had come to appreciate the friendly greeting whenever the young detective saw her. Fujiwara had taken to Naoto instantly, and made her desk the first welcoming place beyond this room for the cat demon to sit. “Where's mom? She said she had a late night.”

Ayaka bit back a heavy breath and focused on keeping her composure. She had to be strong. Their animal yokai's life was about to change. “Your mother and father were on their way back when they...” She exhaled. Without another word –as she was still unable to speak smoothly— she removed the Cafe Jun coffee cup from a black bag at her feet and held it out to Naoto. 

The word 'Noot' stood out in bold black marker against the pale yellow surface. At first, she was annoyed that her mother continued to use this nickname despite her insistence that it stop, then she noticed something horribly wrong; the black spots on the lid weren't from hot chocolate. She glanced to the desk where an opened file and papers lay scattered across its surface. The owner had yet to organize them. Her fingers grew cold from a rising sense of dread. “I don't understand.” Her sharp eyes peered through the other woman from beneath her hat. “Detective Fujiwara, where's my mother and father?”

Ayaka bit her lip, summoning the courage to speak. “Your mother left here around 6pm to walk to the coffee shop. There were three coffee cups in the car. It's likely she met up with the Chief there and he was giving her a ride back to the station.”

The dread sense continued to burn in her chest. “Was?” 

Her voice remained soft and solemn. “Their car hit a telephone pole near this side of the northern bridge. They never made it back.”

The cup trembled in Naoto's hand. 

“They were,” Ayaka choked up slightly, and paused to steel her resolve. “They were both pronounced dead at the scene.” 

The shock of that word shattered the glass of surrounding stimuli. She heard, felt, and saw nothing but Officer Fujiwara and the paper cup in her own hands. “Dead...?” Naoto whispered. Shards of that glass stabbed through her blood. “No... That's... that's impossible. They can't be.” 

Ayaka noticed the other's blue tail start to fade into sight. The little cat demon was losing control of her change skill. That never happened. “I'm sorry, Naoto, but it's true.” 

Breath quivered from Naoto's lips. She started to cry, but no tears fell. The cry lived inside her mind, slowly leaching its tendrils around logical thought to suffocate it before moving into her throat and her chest. “We were going to drink hot chocolate,” she uttered around the invading alien emotion, her eyes glued to the empty paper cup. “It's our 'case night.' Our first one in a week.” Her tail became completely visible, though that was the last thing on her mind. Right now, it was numb, and only the word 'no' dominated her paralyzed thoughts. 

Ayaka touched her knee gently. “We're here for you, Naoto.”

She shook her head lightly. “No... You're lying.” Heat began to tingle behind her eyes. The words whipped out in barbs. “You're lying! They're not dead! They're coming back! It's our case night!” 

“They're not.” A lump formed in her throat and her voice cracked. “I'm sorry, Naoto. I'm so, so sorry.”

“No!” Her fist clenched around the cup as she shot out of her chair. “Mom!”

Ayaka met her stance. “Naoto—“ She reached out in hopes of offering comfort, only to have her hand violently slapped away. 

“Get away from me!” 

Hot pain washed across her arm from Naoto's claws. Despite now bearing three bleeding marks on her hand, Ayaka didn't back down. “I understand how you feel.”

“No, you don't!”

“Yes, I do. Believe me. I know how much this hurts.” 

“Why would you lie to me?! Why would you say that?!” She cried out. A freezing flame ravaged her insides, making her feel like she'd been run through with a katana.

“Please, Naoto...” Ayaka reached for her again, but the cat girl backed away.

“NO! GET AWAY FROM ME! MOM! DAD!” Burning water welled in the corners of her wide eyes, quickly overflowing. The world gradually started growing larger the more she lost her hold on the change skill. She screamed in her own language to the confusion of the other. Unable to cope, she yanked the door open and escaped out into the hall. 

“Naoto, wait!” Ayaka ran after her. 

Dojima watched the cat demon race out of sight, and realized she was much shorter than before. His heart dropped from her sadness; a sadness he was all too familiar with, and a pain that courted him too much. “Let her go, Fujiwara,” 

“But, I can't just—“

“Trust me,” he stared down the now empty hallway, knowing his sleuthing instincts were correct. Of course he knew Naoto was connected to Kanji Tatsumi. After watching his nephew and that fox kid for half a year, he came to recognize the signs of a soul bond. He was a detective. Noticing details was his job. “She won't be alone for long.”

* * * *  
The dam of control cracked, splintered, and shattered. One tear was all it took for the rest to follow in an unbroken stream that blinded her. The town became a colorless cacophony of sense distortion. She sprinted down the street, becoming a dark blur in the muddy lights. Her feet pounded the rough concrete sidewalk with the force of a driving hammer in each step as she ran from the police station, from the pain; from herself.

Someone yelped in surprised when the small cat-demon scrambled by their bicycle. Though she'd completely lost control over her change skill and was now a foot tall, she didn't care. What did it matter if anyone saw her true nature now? At her top speed, she could outrun any Human in this town. The wind tore her hat from her ears and stole it away into the fog. 

Naoto's flight of heartache took her to the Samegawa flood plane. She dove down the steps two at a time to the dying grass of the river bank until she tripped, stumbled, and fell in defeat on all fours at the water's edge. Her fingers clawed into the moist earth as her chest heaved from open-mouthed sobs, spewing from her with such force that it silenced her screams. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be real... 

A building pressure of energy swirled in her mind. While she and her friends were in another dimension looking for others of her kind, her parents were involved in a fatal accident, taken away from her when she wasn't even here to save them. It was completely unfair and cruel. One split second in time had made her an orphan. Damn the fog, damn this city, and damn the people in it. 

The pressure ballooned beyond her mind into her chest, and fired along the lines of her veins like someone had lit a match to her blood. It expanded until it felt like her skin would burst open, exposing the raw, shredded remains of her insides to the elements. She tore up clods of dirt and grass with each throb of her heart. Her hyperventilation increased. Breath scraped past her throat in sandpaper rage. She cried as the hot energy built beyond her walls, her thoughts, and her tears, until finally it snapped in one word that screamed through her brain; _mudo_. 

Pure dark energy exploded across the water in a wave, carving a path through the expanse with its scythe until it met with the next solid object— the retaining wall on the opposite shore. The impact blasted the stone into bullets of shrapnel that peppered the water. Lights winked on in the apartment buildings closest to the guard rail, and a car alarms sounded their paranoid cries for attention into the foggy night. 

The dust settled. 

The once smooth guard wall now held a depression carved deep enough to comfortably accommodate a very tall Human stretched out on their back.

She collapsed. The vast expenditure of power sapped her of all strength. She curled up, protecting her core from the corkscrew slowly twisting her fragile frame into knots. 

She'd never experienced death first hand. Of course she'd seen cadavers at the morgue, and watched plenty of movies involving bloodlust, gore, murders, assassinations, and accidents. She'd analyzed these scenes of the various television crimes, and retained every trick taught by personalities from Sherlock Holmes to Inspector Conan. Her mother and father fostered these skills and taught her how to use the tools of the Shirogane trade. And at the end of the day, she could hang up her tweed deerstalker hat, show her ears and tail, and eat dinner with her parents as a family. 

But she'd been removed of the true aspect of death, unable to completely understand the pain of loss gushing from an invisible wound until she felt it herself. She couldn't replay the DVD, or turn off the television, or flip back to a page in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's book when everyone's heart still beat. 

Death—in either the world of Inaba or her own— ... was permanent. 

They weren't coming back. Ever. 

She covered her face with her hands in vane to stop the endless flow of tears. Her life had changed too dramatically, and too fast, and she wanted to vomit. It left her hollow, cold, and weak. 

Beyond the pleas of denial and pain lived a warm light weaving its golden threads through her soul. Its promise of salvation drew her to cling tightly to the only name and sense of home holding her sanity together.

She focused on the change skill, failed, and tried two more times before giving up. There was no way she could return to Human form like this. Not for a long time. Moving took every ouch of courage remaining in her tiny body. Her muscles ached, her head throbbed, and her vision blurred from the tears, but she didn't want to be out here in the cold, unforgiving fog. She dragged herself forward step by step, shivering as she climbed the stairs to the street and shuffled along its edge toward the shopping district. The fog covered Inaba in a blanket thick enough to conceal her true identity if no one squinted hard enough. From a Human vantage point, she'd appear to be a normal cat. 

In her current state of emotional evisceration, that was all the care she put into being careful. 

Naoto forced her legs to carry her to the only one who could heal her.

* * * *  
_8:30pm. Tatsumi Residence. Upstairs over the main textile shop._

“You haven't touched your dinner,” Mrs. Tatsumi frowned at her son across the small kitchen table. He'd been silent for the past fifteen minutes, staring at his food with his chopsticks held loosely in his right hand. “Are you ill?”

“I'm fine, Ma.” Kanji didn't look up. Not that the croquette, vegetables, and curry rice on his plate was interesting, he just wasn't concentrating on anything. Someone had tied an anvil to his chest, pulling him down by his ribcage and he couldn't shake it off. He ate a piece of steamed broccoli figuring all he needed was food, but he couldn't taste it. He couldn't even smell it though it was seasoned. The chopsticks in his hand might not even exist if he didn't see them, and to that note, every color had dulled to pathetically muted tones. Something had turned his senses to half power. 

When he'd left Junes, he'd felt tired from being in that other world for so long, but satisfied. They'd managed to locate that arrogant raccoon demon who'd taken over the 'leader' title from Teddie, and convinced him to help them track down Mitsuo. Their objective for today was a success. They'd decided after that point, that they should wait until they heard from Shigeru. With the Reaper running loose, it was too dangerous to keep pressing their luck as much as they had. Besides, they had mid terms coming up to deal with. His night should have ended there with some light knitting on a winter hat that would fit snugly over Naoto's cat ears. 

Instead, he felt like crap. He'd rather feel the pain of a punch to the face than this. It only reminded him of when his father walked out on them, and it wasn't going away. He grit his teeth.

“Let me make you a cup of tea. That always helps.” She scooted away from the table to put a teapot on to boil. 

“I don't need tea,” he hissed through clenched teeth. The rage he felt building in his chest began to spread through to his fingers. 

“It'll help you relax,” she continued. “You look tense—“

His fists slammed against the table, jarring the dishes in a loud, clattering mangle of sound. “I said I'm fine!”

Shock filled her wide eyes. Kanji was never violent in her presence. 

His fists trembled as he uncurled his fingers. “Jesus, Mom, I'm sorry. I didn't mean...” He stood. “I need some air.” Ashamed of his outburst, he left his plate and the spilled food behind. 

She watched him until he was out of sight, heard the front door open downstairs, then close, and sighed at the mess. She knew he loved her, and often did things to protect her in an abrasive, brutish manner that earned him the title of 'delinquent,' but his 'tough guy' persona normally stayed outside the house. He'd worked hard to become strong and fill the void of 'man of the house' in his father's place. His outburst didn't worry her, but the reason behind it did. 

Mrs. Tatsumi removed a striped dishrag from a drawer and cleaned up the mess. She would reheat his dinner when he came back. 

* * * *  
_What the hell is this_? He thought, hands shoved into his pockets as he skulked down the street. _I feel like I want to destroy something, or already did._ He'd put on a sweater when he left the house. Despite that moment of hot anger, he was cold, which also wasn't in the norm for him. It was a deep chill originating from his core and bleeding outward to his limbs. That was the exact opposite of what should happen to the Human body. It should pull heat inward, not the other way around. 

He spotted Aika in the lit window of Aiya's serving meals to her customers. She noticed him outside for a moment as she turned with a tray of dirty dishes in her hand, then continued on with her work. Maybe he could stop in for a hot bowl of miso soup before heading home. He didn't want to go back to his mother like this. 

A tiny dark figure at the end of the sidewalk near the Moel gas station caught his attention. It slumped with its head bowed and its legs shoulder width apart, standing as though a single string were the only thing keeping it on its feet. “Hm?” He stopped, barely able to discern what it was through the fog, but the sense in his mind pulsed in strong recognition. “Naoto?”

Her ears drooped to the sides from the weight of a sorrow that threatened to pull her back to the ground. Her head remained limp, hiding her shadowed gaze behind a fringe of blue hair. 

“What are you doin' out in the middle of the street like that? You wanna get caught?”

Slowly, she willed her head to lift, supported on her neck which felt too weak to hold it. The light in her eyes was gone. Between the flood plane and the wide open street corner of the shopping district, she's lost the feeling of feeling. She mewed in a choked, soft, quivering breath. “Kanji.”

He froze. As soon as he made eye contact a bolt of emotional pain shot through the bond to his soul like lightning. This little cat demon was undoubtedly the source of the suffocating sadness that struck him, just like the Hollow infection. Acting on instinct, he reached her in seconds, knelt down, and hurriedly scooped her up before the frail thread of willpower holding her upright snapped. 

He could feel her heart breaking as she clung to him. Her torment became his. What kind of holy hell had occurred in the past hour to drive her to this level of grief? “You're shaking like a leaf. What the hell happened to you, Naoto?” 

She buried her face in the warm cotton and held on to him to keep from falling apart. “It hurts.”

Those were two words he never wanted to hear from her. Anything that caused her pain would meet with his fists. First, he needed to get her to calm down so she could talk to him. He'd been watching the others with their animal demons, but had never needed to implement the same technique. Naoto had always managed to calm herself. Now, he had to borrow a page out of their book. 

Kanji folded his arms inward in support to give her a sense of security. She was always incredibly adorable at this height –especially when she played with one of his yarn balls when she thought no one was watching. She was so cute, she could give people diabetes just by looking at her. But now she sought his comfort, and he would not let go until the unknown terror left her alone. Whatever the reason, she needed him, and if this brought her peace, then he would give her everything he had. He took a deep breath to calm himself and let that flow through the bond. “Calm down, ok? You're safe, Naoto.”

She shut her eyes to the warm wave of energy from her Bonded. His familiar presence and smell sheltered her from the horror of her reality. 

That wasn't a bad try for the first time actively using the bond. It was easier than he'd thought. He walked back to the house before anyone could question the existence of the cat demon and held her close, just as he did when she was sick. He wasn't about to let her go until she could stand on her own.

* * * *

_8:45pm. Tatsumi Textiles._

He opened the door, stepped inside, closed it, kicked off his shoes, and put on his best stealth walk down the hall toward the stairs. As soon as he reached the top, his mother stepped out of the kitchen to meet him face to face. 

Mrs. Tatsumi looked from the little cat girl in his arms to his shocked expression. She might as well have caught him stealing from the register.

Naoto slowly turned her head toward Mrs. Tatsumi and sniffled. She was a puffy-eyed, snotty mess, and she knew it. 

His mother gasped at the sight of the tiny cat-girl clutched in the protection of her son's arms. “Is that... Naoto?”

They were caught. Kanji wracked his brain for an explanation or excuse through a mind scrambled from the emotions pouring through the bond. “It's... she's... I,... it's not what you...”

His mother held up her hand to silence him. 

He obeyed. He couldn't run, couldn't yell at her, and couldn't escape. He was trapped holding a being of myth. 

Mrs. Tatsumi's shoulders slumped under her kimono when the tiny cat girl pressed her face to Kanji's sweater in a frail whimper. Concerned, she reached out to gently touch the top of Naoto's head. “Poor thing. She looks worn out.” She stepped back, hummed to herself lightly, then walked away from her confused son back into the kitchen. She spoke calmly. “I'll reheat your dinner and make a plate for her. Naoto likes rice balls, right?”

Kanji was too dumbstruck by his mother's attitude to move for a moment. He'd brought a living yokai into the house, and she didn't hit the ceiling. “Yeah,” he stuttered, unsure of just what to do. He was sure she would freak out if she'd ever found out about Naoto's true nature. “Y-you're awfully calm about this.” He followed her into the kitchen, but didn't move far beyond the threshold. He watched her move quickly to gather up the food, then to his surprise, moved to the living room and knelt on a floor cushion at the low table with her back to the door. She simply sat and waited for him to join her. 

He sat cross-legged at the opposite side facing the sliding door to the balcony. He tried to set his cat demon on the table, but she refused to let go. When he looked up again, his mother was giving him an icy glare. She looked like she would launch across the table any second to tackle him. He leaned back, constricting his arms around his cat slightly just in case. “Mom, I—“

“I was wondering when you were going to tell me about her.” Despite her stare, her voice exuded softness and caring.

“Wait...” he faltered. “You—you knew about her? Since when?”

Mrs. Tatsumi relaxed, though didn't let her son out of her sights. He was still in trouble for keeping this a secret. “For about a month, now. I was happy you'd finally found some friends, especially one who could help you get your grades up.” 

“You're kidding me...”

“Right after school started, she'd come over, like before, to help you study. You'd gone out to run some errands for me. I passed by your room. The door was cracked, and I saw her sleeping on a pillow in the middle of your bed. I believe that was the night you two saw that scary movie.”

Kanji leaned forward slightly. “Why didn't you say anything?”

Her gaze never wavered. “Why didn't you?”

This question was a trap, and any answer would set her off. “Tch. Come on. You know why I kept my mouth shut. Be mad at me. I don't care.” He felt Naoto try to curl up into a tighter ball in his arms, and reminded himself that he had to keep his cool for her sake. He could feel her trembling from whatever terrible thing she'd endured, and instantly wanted to maim the thing that caused it. “Look, you can yell at me tomorrow, you can ground me, you can sentence me to a month in the workshop—whatever punishment you want to dish out, I'll take. Just don't say anything about her to anyone.”

Mrs. Tatsumi turned her attention to the small cat girl. “The poor girl's traumatized. What happened to her?”

Kanji glance down. “I don't know. But I'm going to pound whatever did this to her into the dirt. No one hurts my cat and gets away with it.”

“Your cat?”

That was one giant slip up he couldn't back out on. “I mean...” He sighed, resigning the fight. “Yeah. That's exactly what I mean.” 

“Naoto?” Mrs. Tatsumi began. “Dear?”

The little cat demon looked up and blinked at the older woman. She sniffled, glanced to the food on the table, and back. It was nice of her to make her something to eat. Her voice squeaked out an attempted 'thank you' in gratitude. Knowing Kanji's mother like she did, it was safe to assume they weren't in danger.

Kanji's mother...

His mother...

Hot tears spilled down her cheeks once more. Her body shook in soft sobs as she cried into his sweater. 

Mrs. Tatsumi watched the two for a moment, gaining the best sense of the situation as she could with her limited knowledge. She sighed and smoothly got to her feet. “Make sure she eats something. You, too.” There was nothing more she could do here until Naoto had calmed down. 

Leaving the two alone, she went back to her room and turned on her usual nightly news program. The reporter blandly rattled off information on celebrity gossip, which she didn't care for. It was all about the Kanamine Kitchen girls, and 'who wore it best.' She set her slim wire frame glasses on the dresser and removed the hairnet to let her silver hair fall from the bun. She picked up her hairbrush as he switched over to top stories and breaking news. 

The hairbrush slipped from her hand as she listened to the reporter read off life changing information with very little emotion. She covered her mouth in shock. The victims involved in the crash at the northern bridge were the Chief of Police and his wife; Takashi and Kaori Shirogane. 

Naoto's parents.

For all she knew, they were the only other two people aware that Naoto was not only a girl, but an animal demon. Which meant in one moment, that little girl had lost everything. 

She looked out into the living room at her son, and saw his head snap toward her at the sound of the news program softly bleeding into the room. His mouth slacked beneath widened eyes filled with disbelief. She saw him lower his head, mumble something, then slowly pull up his knees around the tiny cat demon. 

If she came here instead of going anywhere else, that meant Kanji was all she had left.


	42. 42nd Scent: Wrapped in Sunshine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mrs. Tatsumi comes to terms with an animal demon in her home. Naoto starts to recover, and finds a deeper connection with Rise. 
> 
> ((The wait is over! It's been over a year. In my defense, I was working on a lot of other writing projects. Currently I'm ingrossed in the Animal Crossing horror story "The Nightmare of Aika." I'm rather proud of it. Please check that one out, too. :) And thank you for sticking with me, my lovely readers. ))

42nd SCENT: WRAPPED IN SUNLIGHT

_September 27th. Tuesday. 8am. Tatsumi residence._

_Naoto, your parents are..._

The weighted words haunted her dream. They pounded through happy memories of her mother and father, of the frustrating moments and sad moments, of the last time she saw them smiling at her, of the explosion that left a hole in the retaining wall of the river...

...A hole she may as well have blasted through her own chest. 

She felt herself drowning in her own mind. Sunlight sparkled through the dark depths, but it seemed so far away that reaching out to it felt like a futile attempt to save herself. Why should she try? They were gone. None of their relations knew about her. Her life as a Shirogane was over. 

Within her dream, a warm tingle began at her finger pads into her retracted claws, and formed into red thread that leached sunlight from above into itself. It brightened the space around her hand, and as she watched, threaded its way around her arm, into her skin like a lifeline, and spread its comforting silk through her body. It wove through her chest, her legs, tail, head and ears, and pulsed through her in a soft, audible heartbeat. It blanketed every inch of her until she was cocooned inside it. The threads extended beyond her up to the surface, through the memories and the life-changing words, and pulled her back. She couldn't see the source, but she knew it well. 

This, this thread that ensnared her entire being, was her bond with the soul of Kanji Tatsumi.

She opened her eyes slowly to bring the world into focus. The heartbeat remained, muffled in her left ear beneath the indigo blue cotton she'd fallen asleep on. That same warm, thick fabric supported her, and when she looked up, she saw why. 

Kanji had fallen asleep leaning up against the living room couch while still holding on to her.

Weary, but a little stronger than the night before, Naoto scooted out of his arms and slid over them to the floor. Her muscles were stiff, and she moved like a zombie to her goal: the rice balls left on a small plate on the low table. She easily climbed up onto it, sat in front of the plate, and stared down the three seaweed wrapped snacks. It was food, and after what happened yesterday, she needed it. But she didn't want it. 

She reached out, but lowered her hand and head and sighed. 

The shuffling of kimono fabric made her ears twitch. When she looked up, a hand not belonging to Kanji held a rice ball out to her. She looked up into the face of the only other resident of the house. 

Mrs. Tatsumi didn't say a word. She simply held out the treat and waited patiently. 

Naoto opened her mouth to thank her, but words still refused to come out. Instead, she showed her gratitude in Mrs. Tatsumi's acceptance of her and slowly took the food in both hands. She stared at it for a moment, gathering the strength to eat, and took a bite. It was delicious.

Mrs. Tatsumi leaned back in seiza on the floor cushion and watched. Over the past couple of months, she'd come to know Naoto little by little. Right now, she didn't see a yokai sitting on the table eating a rice ball, she saw a girl suffering and in need of kindness. However she'd managed it, Naoto had broken through the barrier her son kept up against other people. For that alone, she was grateful to the little cat demon. 

They existed in each others presence; one slowly finding the strength to regain her own, and the other silently accepting an animal demon permanently into her home.

* * * *  
_3:30pm. Aiya's Chinese Restaurant after school._

It began to rain around noon that day, and didn't show signs of letting up. A late fall storm swirled lethargically over the town like it was stuck, trapped inside the valley with the residents of the small country town. 

The group sat around a table picking at the food steaming in matching bowls in front of them. Aiya's had yet to see the dinner rush, so for the time being, the six high school students could call the restaurant their own. Everyone knew why the group was short two people, and everyone hurt because of it. Neither Naoto or Kanji had shown up at school.

“I feel so bad for her,” Yukiko lamented. She stared at her half-eaten bowl of nikudon as though the answer to make this all better were hidden in the tangled strips of beef and rice. “She's not even that old.”

“That we know of,” Chie set her chopsticks on a tray next to the bowl. Even she couldn't summon the appetite to finish one of her favorite dishes. “Still sucks. It's just not fair. Why did it have to be them?”

Rise's instant response came out cold. “Would you rather it be someone else?”

Chie snapped before she could think. “I.. No! You know what I mean.”

“No, I don't.” Her gaze speared through the other. “Don't say things like that,” she clenched her fist around her empty cup. It matched the tension in the razor quiet of her voice. “I would never wish this kind of pain on anyone.” 

Teddie slurped on a cup of hot green tea. The bubbling sound mingled with the pattering of rain against the windowpanes. He set the cup down. “Aaaaah. Warm tea always makes me feel better. Why don't you try some, Rise?” He refilled her cup from a teapot left to their care in the middle of the table before she could answer. 

Rise's grip relaxed as she stared at the liquid. She sighed. “I'm sorry, Chie.”

Chie offered a small smile to try to sooth the abrasive atmosphere. “It's cool.”

“At least we know Naoto isn't alone,” Yosuke spoke up. “Something as heavy as this...there's only one place she'd want to be. And considering neither of them showed up at school...”

“Yeah,” Yukiko picked up a small bite of rice. “There's no way Kanji wouldn't have felt her pain. I feel it, and we're not even connected.”

The others muttered in agreement.

Yu ate a bite of food. His uncle had come home late last night bringing a cloud of gloom with him. He'd sent Nanako to bed and sat in the living room in silence. Yu didn't know why until the reporter read through the breaking news. Sleeping that night was difficult. His mind continued to analyze the news story, looking for any details that might link the Shiroganes' deaths to Mitsuo. He'd discovered nothing, and only succeeded in giving himself a fatigue headache. 

Although he couldn't relate to the cat demon on this level, he was familiar with loss. The dull ache in his heart left behind by his fleeting tie to Kurumi pushed forward in empathy. He should go check on her and make sure she and Kanji were both surviving. 

Rise glanced to each of them. These people around the table with her sharing a common sadness through the heartache of one of their own were her second family. She'd been lucky enough to find them, and she wasn't going to let any of them hurt alone. They were her friends. They shared a bond no others could touch, and that was sacred to her. 

She suddenly planted her hands on the table and stood, jarring everyone's internal focus. “I'm going to Kanji's,” she said resolutely, and headed for the door. 

Aika watched her pick up her purple umbrella, pop it open outside, and head up the street toward the shrine and Tatsumi Textiles. She sent her next monotone statement to the other confused students remaining at the table. “I'll leave the bill here.” 

Yukiko picked up the tray with the receipt on it and added enough money to pay for Rise's meal without thinking twice.

Teddie didn't follow, which surprised the rest of them.

“Um...” Chie's eyes flicked from the door to the blond kid with his back to it. “Aren't you going with her?”

“Nope.” The bear boy sipped from his tea again. “Not yet.”

“Huh? Why? She almost lost it a moment ago.”

Yosuke leaned forward, irritated at the other animal demon's blithe mannerisms. The rest of them would be on their Humans' heels. Teddie didn't budge from his seat. “You know something. Ok. Information, Bear. We need it.”

“No, I can't.” He planted his hand to his head to emphasize the dramatic performance. “She entrusted me with the truth. It would be wrong of me to spill the beans so easily. Oh, the stress of knowledge is almost too much for this poor bear's heart to take. I just might faint. Woe is Teddie.”

“You're not getting free soba noodles,” Yu stated. He knew that glint in the other's eye. It was a child-like innocent weapon of adorableness to gain heart-melting sympathy with the goal of obtaining something he wanted. Yosuke used to do this all the time in the early days of his training. It stopped working after Yu realized he was being played. From that point on, it was a conscious decision to give in to the moe-eyed begging of a tiny young animal demon.

Teddie sighed, dropping the act. “Ok, Sensei, you win. I gave it my beary best, but I guess I did a poor job at trying to convince you.” 

“Nah,” Yosuke folded his arms. “You just aimed your weapon at the wrong person.” He thumbed nonchalantly at Yu. “I've got him trained.”

Yu turned his head and stared at him. Trained?

“Teddie,” Yukiko's mellifluous voice caught the bear boy's attention, “Please tell us why you're not going after her when it really looks like she might need you.”

Teddie lowered the cup, then with knowledge hidden within his words, regarded his friends seriously. “Don't tell her I told you this, but there's something about Rise you guys should know. Considering what happened, I think it might be ok to tell this secret.” He turned in his seat to look out the window into the rain, and for a moment, felt like the leader of the animal demon resistance again. Finding paths and clearing up confusion used to his be job before he became bound by a true name. “My beautiful Human is stronger than you all think,” he said softly. “And right now, she's going to use that strength to help Naoto the best way she can.” 

 

* * * *

_Tatsumi Textiles..._

Rise frowned at the sign hung outside the shop's front door.

CLOSED.

Having grown up running up and down these streets, she knew the times of every establishment on their block, and this place rarely saw locked doors during business hours. 

She knocked on the door. “Mrs. Tatsumi? It's me—Rise. Are you there?” 

No answer. 

Rise removed her phone from her purse and typed in a message to Kanji's phone. [Are you home? Reply Y/N.]

Again, no answer. She cursed under her breath, gripped the door handle and pulled. 

At that moment, the door jolted open as Mrs. Tatsumi unlocked it. Rise caught herself on the frame to keep from tumbling over.

Mrs. Tatsumi blinked. “Oh, Rise. Sorry, dear, are you all right?”

“Yes, I'm..I'm fine, Mrs. Tatsumi.” She smoothed down her hair and nodded. “I came to see Naoto.”

“Oh, she's not here. She—“

“I know she's here, because … because...Well, she and Kanji didn't show up for school. I...I'm worried about them.” Rise bit her lip. She didn't have the right to disclose her friend's secret. 

Mrs. Tatsumi held her ground, though her eyes softened. “They are here, but now's probably not the time.” Considering the little cat demon hadn't changed back to a human since that night, she didn't want anyone stumbling onto Naoto's secret. “I'm sorry.”

Rise blocked the door as Mrs. Tatstumi attempted to pull it closed. “Then can you please leave a message for me? Can you--” she caught slight of a small set of eyes peeking out from under a hand-knitted, oversized mustard-yellow sweater with the hood up. A navy blue tail swished into sight as the small cat demon moved out of sight. Rise gasped. “Naoto!” 

Without thinking, she pushed past Mrs. Tatstumi and ran to the back of the shop, quickly kicking off her shoes when she reached the back into the living space.

“Rise, Wait a minute!” Mrs. Tatsumi chased after her. She caught up to them in the hallway. Instantly, she noticed that Rise wasn't shocked at Naoto's appearance, warry, or frightened. She seemed familiar with it. For now, she watched, just to be sure. 

“Naoto, please,” Rise pushed her voice to stop the slouching little cat demon. It worked. 

Naoto stopped, but didn't turn around. “I don't want to talk to anyone, Rise. Please go home.”

“I know you don't want to talk, but,” Rise stepped forward. “I just want you to listen. There's something important I want to tell you, something none of our friends knows about.”

Naoto turned, looked up at her friend, and nodded. 

Rise felt relieved, but the vacant stare of depression in her small friend's eyes pained her. 

Naoto then lowered the hood to reveal her ears. “It's ok, Mrs. Tatsumi. She knows everything.”

The older woman folded her arms. “You'll have to tell me who else knows about you so I'm not shooing away the people in your life, Naoto.” 

“Of course. I'm sorry.” Naoto whispered, bowing her head lightly. 

“Well,” Mrs. Tatsumi moved past them. “If you're going to invite yourself in, girl, come into the garden out back. I'll get some snacks.” She went to the kitchen to get some onigiri ready, and slid a glance back as the two girls –one barely reaching the other's kneecap in height—took a seat on the engawa surrounding the small square garden. If she knew Rise as well as she did, she had a good sense of what details the young woman would impart. 

Thank goodness her son was passed out asleep in his room. 

She brought out the tray of rice balls, set it on the porch next to them, and went back into the house.

Rise took the edge of the knitted sweater in her fingers for a moment to feel the fabric, then let it go. “Did Kanji make that?”

She nodded. “It's too big.” 

Rise smiled. “I'd say you'd grow into it, but...”

Naoto's tail swished. 

“Honestly,” Rise added in a lilting chuckle. “Mustard yellow? What was he thinking?”

“I know. “

Rise exhaled. “It's pretty. Like he wanted to wrap you in sunshine.”

The tiny cat demon picked at the knitting in thought. That might be true, but it was a mask. Within her lived nothing but gloom and rain.

That ice wasn't going to break as easily as she thought it would. Rise cleared her throat and picked up two rice balls, handing one to Naoto. “You know I live with my grandmother, right?”

She nodded. 

“Did you ever wonder why?”

She shook her head. “I didn't want to pry. I figured it was a situation like Yu's, where you were staying with her while your family was away.”

The short brunette shook her head. “I've lived with my grandmother since I was seven. I'm actually from the city. See...” she stared at the food cupped in her hands. “My parents and I were on our way back home from my first real audition at a talent agency to become am Idol. I was still young, but I had big dreams, and my parents were always so supportive –even to the point of putting theirs on hold.”

Naoto looked up at her, concerned at the way her friend used past-tense to describe her family.

“I had the opportunity to be seen at Aiya's karaoke night when we were visiting my grandparents. There was a producer in the audience who'd been staying at the Amagi Inn. They loved the show I put on. They thought it was cute, so they offered me an audition. I pushed and begged them to let me go, and I won.” Rise let the birdsong of a small warbler fill the silence. “They said the truck made an illegal turn right into our path. We couldn't avoid it.”

She picked up the rice ball and sighed. “The agency didn't want to train me after the accident, because they wanted me to heal. They said I could come back when I was a couple of years older to try again. But I didn't want to sing anymore. My tenth birthday came and went, but I didn't go back. Every time I thought about auditioning, I would remember the accident, what it felt like, what it sounded like... And I knew that it was because of my stupid dream that they died.”

The rains stopped, leaving the scent of petrichor lingering in the air. Naoto's ear twitched. She watched her friend stand, slip on the guest shoes, and walk out into the garden. 

“But then I started to realize that singing was too much a part of me to give up. Whether I liked it or not, performing is in my soul. I couldn't break that away from myself and still live. So, I started singing at Aiya's again, and eventually made karaoke night my home away from home.” She turned a smile back to Naoto. “And then I got kidnapped and met all of you. Now I'm bound to my own animal demon, and I have true friends for the first time in my life.” She wiped a tear away from her cheek. “I'm so scared of losing you guys, that I'll do whatever I can to keep you.” She chuckled slightly. 

Naoto held the rice ball, still saying nothing. 

Rise glanced to the food in her hand, then to her tiny companion. “I wanted to tell you, because I wanted you to know that I'm here for you. What you're feeling is different from what I felt –I can't say I know exactly what you're feeling—but I can say that I know how hard it is, and how much it hurts. I cried myself to sleep more nights than I can count. Sometimes I still do. This is something that will be with you forever. It's a part of you, now. It's going to take a long time for things to feel even close to normal again.” She took a deep breath to steady her voice and moved back over to sit down again. “You're my best friend, Naoto. I trust you. I feel like I can tell you anything. I'm always going to be here for you, no matter what happens. I'm not Kanji, but I want you count on me, too, ok?”

Naoto set down the food and sighed, folding her arms. “This town... It's almost like a haven for those who have nowhere else to go.”

“Hm,” Rise glanced up at the sky. She thought of her new friends, of their lives and of the animal demons who called this town 'home.' A small smile lifted the corners of her lips. Were it not for all the circumstances in their lives, they wouldn't even be in the same town, and they wouldn't have formed this family of outsiders. “It kinda is.” 

Naoto's ears drooped slightly as she picked up the food again, pushing back the sleeves of the sweater. A few grains of rice dropped to her lap. “Thank you,” she muttered, “for telling me.”

Rise glanced down as her friend finally, but slowly, ate the food. She took a bit of her own. “Mm, I forgot how good Mrs. Tatsumi's cooking is.”  
Naoto agreed. Then again, onigiri was the only thing she'd been able to eat.  
\----------------  
TBC


	43. 43rd Scent: An Accomplice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naoto returns to the office and tries to return to a new life, but she's confused with finding a way to bring Mitsuo to justice. Little did she know that fate would bring the target to her, and reveal the secret of a new accomplice, and a new threat as the chase takes her to the Shadow World.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Thank you so much for your patience. That "ACNL: The Nightmare of Aika" story took all of my writing resources. It's finished. And now I can continue on this. It's my new years resolution to fish this story in 2018, since I started writing it in 2013. ))

43rd SCENT: AN ACCOMPLICE

_1 week later…_

Gravestones clustered together in a morbid party blanketing a cloistered hillside in northeast Inaba. Their rough surfaces were darkened from a downpour the night before. Some harbored offerings from loved ones, while others remained barren. Perhaps family members would simply come the next day, or perhaps not at all. Former citizens of this valley lay to rest here both from the present and the far distant past.

Both new and ancient surrounded the somber ceremony.

It didn't rain during the Shirogane funeral, but the air grew significantly colder beneath a slate-gray sky threatening another downpour.

For the first time in her life, Naoto didn't care about being caught in the rain. Her lips formed a thin line as she watched the caskets of Kaori and Takashi Shirogane lowered into the earth.

The mourners trickled out after the traditional service ended. Those of the police force who knew of her secret as a yokai wished her soft, solemn apologies and condolences on their way out. Her friends lingered a moment longer to show support before they, too, left the dual grave site.

Naoto stared unblinking with hollow, light-less eyes at the cold stone monument that marked the final resting place of the people who raised her, and the name she couldn't use outside this town.

She grit her teeth against the crushing feeling in her chest. Guilt. If she hadn't told her mother she would be out late, her mother would have gone home as usual and they would have spent the whole night pouring over case files and drinking hot cocoa with the office's space heater buzzing in the background against the chill autumn air. She'd put her own selfish obsession with catching Mitsuo and making him confess his crimes that she didn't think once about how it affected her family.

Her family...

The fingers of her right hand clenched into a fist that trembled by her side.

Regardless of what Kanji said about her, she was now only posing as a Shirogane. No one from that family line outside of Inaba knew of her existence. If she left this town, she'd have to adopt a new surname and past.

Yu and Yosuke walked with Nanako back to the Dojima residence at Yu's uncle's request.

Naoto remained as the last vigilant servant to the lives of her adopted parents, and her life as a Shirogane. The wind carried the last of her old life on its back with crisp leaves rustling in curls along the ground.

Kanji hung back by Ryotaro Dojima's car as the older detective indulged in a cigarette to settle his nerves, and leaned against the side with his hands shoved in his pockets. Neither man said a word, but both were on the same page when it came to the cat demon in their lives. They knew to leave her alone in respect for as long as she needed.

* * * *  
_The next day…_

"Are you sure you're ok going back to the station?" Kanji yawned as he removed some hot waffles from the toaster and set them on a plate in front of Naoto, sitting at the small kitchen table.

"I've moped around for a week. I haven't done anyone any good, and if I don't get back to work on trying the find the truth, I'll lose my mind."

"About this town, or them?"

Her shoulders tightened. "Both."

"I get it." He leaned against the counter and ate his own breakfast. His mother was downstairs tending to the shop. He checked the clock on the wall. "Just take it easy on yourself, all right?"

To show she wasn't completely still wrapped in darkness, she gave him a smile. "I'll be fine." She finished her meal, stood, and put on her school uniform jacket. It felt nice to slide into this persona again of the detective prince, only now it was even more of a facade than before.

The two left the house without more than a 'see you later' to Mrs. Tatsumi, and walked silently side by side to Yasogami high. This would be a long awkward return to reality. Fortunately, Naoto had her friends to help her through it.

She existed through the school day like a shadow, keeping to herself as much as she could, and avoiding glances and whispers from the other students. Without her hat, she felt exposed.

The trip to the station after school couldn't beat a snails pace. Every second slipped past Naoto in its own eternity. This place was her first home, where she'd met her mother. It's where she could go to relax, to sleep, and to be surrounded by others searching to right the injustices of Inaba. Now its walls reverberated with the memories of the past, and they were deafening.

Getting back into a routine of any kind would do her good.

All eyes were on her as she made her way stiffly to a cleared desk by a window. On it rested her blue floppy hat bearing a note taped to the top. She unpealed the tape from the fabric and read the words handwritten onto the yellow lined notebook page;

'I found this the night you ran out of the station. Thought you might want it back. I know what it means to you. You weren't just the chief's daughter to us. – Dojima.'

She exhaled heavily and sat in the squeaky office chair. The note was touching, and she appreciated the gesture of family, but at this moment, her heart contained a pulsing numbness. She accepted it anyway and fit the cap on her head. The weight of it over her ears gave her comfort, and she let herself revel in it.

Thus began her third new life.

* * * *

Naoto spent the first few long days hunched behind the desk pouring over her father's files. A short stack of manila envelopes, folders, and photos paper-clipped to reports spread across the majority of her workspace. She avoided conversation beyond excruciatingly-small talk, kept herself awake with coffee, and focused on finding a lead to the suspects. Somewhere in this pile had to be a link between Mitsuo and his Bonded that would offer her the solid Human World evidence she needed to place him at the scene of the incidents.

She had every right to use her father's office –and been given permission to do so until a new Chief of Police could be appointed- but she could hardly look at the office door without feeling a weight crush her chest. That fogged glass bearing the name 'Chief Takashi Shirogane' walled off a room with too many memories. It loomed as a constant reminder of the brilliant detectives who would never walk through that door again.

"You've been at this for hours, kiddo," Detective Fujiwara leaned against the young yokai's desk in concern. "It's late. Why don't you call it a night?"

"I can't."

"Your eyes are carrying enough luggage for a global trip. Maybe you should—"

"Go home?" Naoto glanced up, narrowing her eyes.

Fujiwara's lips tightened from the burn of that glare. She wasn't going to suggest that all. "Get some rest," she said softly. "You don't have to leave the office, but you need to refresh your head. If you get too caught up in a case, you start to lose who you are, and you can only define yourself by that case. I've seen this before." She caught Dojima sitting back down at his desk with a fresh cup of coffee. "I don't want that happening to you, too."

Naoto rubbed her eyes and leaned back. Her tail swished through the chair's open slot at the back.

Fujiwara squeezed her shoulder in empathy. "I'm heading to the sandwich place down the street. Want anything?"

She shook her head. "I'm good. Thanks."

"Suit yourself." Fujiwara stretched and left the room.

Naoto slipped aside a yellow folder and lifted a report with a picture of Saki Konishi smiling in her most recent school photo clipped to it, then to the write up of the reporter, Myumi Yamano's, body found hanging on a telephone pole in the same manner, then to the page with the robbery at Daidara's, then to the report of Kenshiro Morooka's murder. The same detectives were at all three, of course -Dojima, Adachi, and Fujiwara- but other than than all but Morooka having animal demon traits, nothing else linked them together.

The sound of a scuffle in the hall perked her ears up beneath the hat. She hid her tail from sight with a thought and looked up. Her jaw dropped. No way... it couldn't be...

Detective Adachi brought in Mitsuo in handcuffs. Kanji was with him, thankfully free of any bindings and standing behind the other two. By her deduction, he'd only be accompanying them to give a statement –unless he just happened to drop by to pick her up from work at the same moment.

Her teeth clenched. She overheard the rookie telling Dojima that Mitsuo turned himself in for the murder of Kenshiro Morooka, but the sound muffled through her anger like the din of boring dinner conversation. He'd turned himself in... After all the pain, headaches, and searching she'd done, he turned himself in?!

Naoto tossed all caution aside and charged the boy with the solid black eyes in rage. "You Bastard! You killed them!

Mitsuo's eyes shot open and he backed up. Despite the sharp sense of danger, he threw a nervous smile. "Good to see you again, Naoto. I knew you'd be here. There's no better place for someone ordered to find the truth—"

"Shut up!" she snapped, her ears pulled back in anger as she slammed him up against the wall. "All I want to hear out of your mouth is a confession! Why did you kill my parents?! Were they another mark? Huh?! Was she after them, too?!" She closed her fist tighter around his shirt, straining the fabric against his neck. "Another experiment for your Bonded' sick machine?!"

"You've got it wrong, Cat. I didn't kill them!" he defended himself. "That accident wasn't my fault."

"Then who?!" She shoved his back against the wall again. "Who was it?"

Her claws extend, ready to strike, when Adachi grabbed her from behind and pulled her back. "Easy, kitty, you're not helping anyone."

Normally, she would glare him down with a heated 'call me that again, and you'll lose an eye' retort, but right now, she didn't care. "Let me go!"

"You little piece of shit," Kanji marched forward, pushing up his sleeve, ready to pound Mitsuo's face in when Ryotaro's strong hand gripped his forearm. "Lemme go, Pops."

"Don't be an idiot, Tatsumi," Dojima growled.

"You have no idea who you're dealing with! This guy—"

"Is under arrest for the murder of Kenshiro Morooka. He told us everything." Dojima's grip remained firm. "You attack him, and I'll have to arrest you." Dojima pushed a second meaning into his words for the boy to think about who needed him right now, and who would suffer for his stupidity.

Kanji shrugged out of his grip. Fine. The old man won for now. He wasn't happy about standing down, but he had to stay out of trouble for Naoto's sake.

Naoto struggled in Adachi's grip. This was the first time she'd been restrained by him (probably for the better since she was a thought away from clawing Mitsuo's eyes out), and she felt like she was in irons. He only held both of her arms at her sides, but an energy as dark as his black blazer coiled around her. Even though she knew she could easily escape from him, that part of her felt chained down. She couldn't move. His will to hold her still overpowered her own.

Mistuo raised his voice. "It wasn't me this time, cat. I was there. Yeah, I was waiting, but there was a shadow lurking in the fog at the bridge."

Naoto and Kanji froze. "A Shadow...?" she whispered. "Impossible. You're lying to cover up your own tracks."

"You seek the truth. I can see it in your heart. That last command is so tightly woven into your soul aspect that you can't exist without it. That's what he did to us. You, me, the fox; we're all ruled by a command so powerful, even our Bonded can't break it. Mine tried. She gave up after I suffered extreme pain and decided to use it to her advantage instead."

"He's one of them?" Detective Fujiwara gasped. "He's an animal demon?"

"How many do we have in this town?" another detective mumbled in disbelief.

He ignored them, his hands still in cuffs behind his back and stepped forward toward Naoto. "Use it. See for yourself." He stopped three feet away from her. "I killed them," he chuckled. "I killed them all!"

Fury blurred her vision, and yet she called on that command to find the truth and focused on him. The sense she felt from his words responded to her search. She could see it. Mitsuo was at the scene of the crime, but he wasn't the cause of it. "No," she hissed, loathing the facts. "You didn't kill my parents." She breathed, hating that it would be illogical to take her sorrow and anger out on this treasonous dog for the death of her parents. "But you saw who did."

"See?" Mitsuo let that same nervous laughter poison the air. "I told you you could see the truth. The command lit up through your whole body when you let it live, when you finally used its power. It's amazing. So beautiful to see."

"Who was it?!" Naoto yelled. "Answer me, dog!"

"He kind of reminded me of someone else I knew from the old days in the Red World before...," he nodded at the whole scene of the station, the town, the Human world, "...all of this. I actually think you know him."

Someone from their past, a past she couldn't remember. "Tell me."

Mitsuo smiled, opened his mouth, and said, "He calls himself the Hunter of Shadows, but he's a fake." His eyes flicked up to Adachi still securing Naoto's arms to her sides, then back. He leaned it to whisper, "The Hunter's pet roams free because the true Hunter disappeared."

"What pet? Where is this Hunter of Shadows?"

"Get the Hunter to control his pet, and you can find the one who caused the accident that killed the humans who adopted you. I'll let you in on a secret. The Hunter that even we should fear is closer than you think." Mitsuo hesitated, smiled, and before anyone could stop him, he bolted out of the detectives office, slamming into a police officer with his body, and made his escape down the hall.

"After him!" Dojima ordered.

Kanji's long legs took him ahead of the group after his cat demon. To hell with the cops. That dog demon's face would be hamburger in five seconds.

Adachi let go. Naoto raced down after him. Her speed allowed her pass everyone and keep up. She chased him into a back interrogation room and snarled. She'll trap him here, get the name of the Hunter of the Shadows, and let Kanji's fists do the rest of the talking.

She burst through the open door. The room bore one table, two chairs, a small television set perched on a rolling stand, and a two way mirror on the other side, Lines of black and white static fuzzed on the screen. She looked down at the base of the stand where a pair of cuffs lay on the floor. Without missing a beat, she changed form to be small enough to fit through the boxy set and dove through the forgiving surface of the screen. The glass rippled briefly in her wake.

Seconds later, the others barged into the empty room. Nothing but the abandoned cuffs on the floor met them. Kanji's eyes locked on the television set and his jaw slacked. She couldn't have... She wouldn't go there alone...

Dojima picked up the cuffs. They were closed, unmarred, and locked tight. There was no other way out of this room. "Where the hell did they go?"

Kanji pushed his body through the group of confused people like his clothes were on fire and ran. He needed to get to that other world fast, and he needed help. He quickly selected a number from his contact list on his phone. He didn't wait for the recipient to speak. "Yu, get your butt and that fox to Junes, now!"

"Kanji?" Yu stood in the kitchen with a 'kiss the cook' apron on, and a wooden stirring spoon in hand. "What's—"

"It's Naoto! I'll explain there!" Kanji ran out of the station, jumped down the steps, and hurried up the street.

Yu's next question never made it out of his mouth, but the severity of his friend's call triggered his sense of urgency. He tossed the apron over a chair.

"I heard him from here," Yosuke stood. He'd been helping Nanako put a puzzle together on the living room floor.

Yu slipped on his shoes and grabbed his jacket. "We have to go, Nanako. Are you ok finishing up the spaghetti?"

Nanako nodded. "Uh huh. I'll be all right. Is Kanji ok? Is Naoto ok?"

"They'll be fine. We just need to go help them. We'll be back later."

"Ok. Be careful," She frowned in worry. "I'll save you food."

"You're the best little sister ever," Yosuke slipped his shoes on and followed Yu outside into the night.

* * * *  
TBC


	44. 44th Scent: Blinded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naoto falls into a deadly trap.

44TH SCENT: BLINDED

Naoto tumbled out of a trio of vintage televisions stacked in the middle of a playground. She and her team came to understand that different sets in the human world lead to different areas in this world, so wondering why she was away from their usual Junes landing pad didn't cross her mind. She'd returned to human form immediately after hitting the soft ground, discarded her shoes and broke into a run barefoot down the twisted street of Magatsu Inaba. She needed all the traction she could get, and shoes—honestly—got in the way.

"Mitsuo!" Anger fueled her call into the red and black sky. "Where are you?!" The fog from this world was starting to leach into their world again. That was usually a sign that someone would go missing, or at least a kidnapping attempt would occur. If she could stop the dog demon here, they could avoid another incident. "Quit hiding like a child and face me!"

Rustling in the nearby brush brought her to a halt. Her claws extended from her fingertips on instinct. A lower level shadow -a fully formed but weak Magic Hand-burst forward at top speed. She leaped to the side to dodge it and swiped across its fingers with her claws. The shadow's digits plopped to the ground, wiggled like worms, and evaporated. What remained of it writhed and squirmed. Another strike across its palm destroyed it in a puff of dark smoke.

She snarled, running up a street flanked by dark houses up to the top of the hill. She stopped, catching her breath, and stared out over a field littered with boulders and jagged rocks jutting up out of the red earth. She knew this field. For a split second, it lived in her memory as a verdant, lush, open space speckled with colorful wild flowers. The row of abandoned two-story homes edging the upper end to her left seemed familiar as well.

It hit her memory like a hammer to drywall. This was the field she, the dog, and the fox were playing in when the red stain hit and the silver haired man spirited them away to the human world in a cardboard box. This…was home.

As soon as she inhaled to call out his name once more, the scene morphed, twisted, and reshaped into walls that stacked into clean rows of various colored cubes, like she'd walked into the inner workings of an 8-bit video game. The entire field soon filled the with corridors, 90 degree angles, dead-ends, and passage ways of a massive labyrinth.

"What is this place?" Naoto scooted her foot back when a tone went off around her. The sky darkened as a ceiling formed, blocking her view and caging her into this maze. A large, red, semi-transparent reticule bearing the word "START' blinked to life above her head. "A game?"

Mitsuo stepped into view at the far end of the first corner.

She blinked, then narrowed her eyes at the distant figure. "This is all just a game to you?"

He chuckled softly. "That's right. It's all just been one massive game, but it's not my creation. We can't affect this world that way. This belongs to Her. Don't you think I'm playing her game well?"

"Games have an objective—a prize. What are you after?"

"I'm serving the will of my Bonded. I tried to explain our role in life, but you just don't get it. You're caught up on this 'we're equals' bullshit. You never learn."

"You can't simply be serving your Bonded out of blind loyalty."

"If you think I have another motive, then find one. You like puzzles, Cat. Figure it out."

Before she could demand an answer, he took off out of sight. She rushed in without hesitation. The red 'START' sign flicked to green with an audible 'bong' sound when she passed beneath it.

Naoto kept her ears and eyes open as she ran through the halls at break-neck speed, barely keeping his heels in sight.

"Keep up, Cat!" His laughter and taunts left a breadcrumb trail of their own. "You were never as fast as the fox! Haha!"

She rounded corner after corner, turn after turn, narrowing her focus: take him down and get answers. She bolted down corridors bearing offshoots to multiple dead ends that would have trapped her had she not kept up with him.

The chase dumped them out into a massive, dark, square room with a high ceiling bearing only one spotlight shining in the center-the center of the labyrinth. And in its circle stood her target.

She strode forward. "Mitsuo, you're under arrest—again—for the murder of Kinshiro Mooroka, for being an accessory to the murders of Miyumi Yamano and Saki Konishi, for multiple counts of kidnapping, and for endangering the lives of Rise Kujikawa, Yukiko Amagi, Yu Narukami, and Chie Satonaka. You have a laundry list a mile long, Mitsuo. And you're going to pay for every single one."

"I never kidnapped that short-haired bitch, or the fox's human, so you can't pin that on me. They came here on their own. I only ever kidnapped one. Her scent of strawberries was too delicious to ignore. She was a target, but I wanted that job myself."

The thought of this animal demon lusting after Yukiko sent shivers of disgust up her spine. "You sick bastard. We've got you for murder. That's more than enough for the court to convict you without bringing this world into it. We'll get your accomplice on the others. Namatame's days are numbered."

"Your friends survived the weapon. I don't see the problem."

Her claws retracted and she clenched her fists. "It almost killed Yosuke!"

"It's not meant for us. He was stupid and got in the way!"

"It altered the nature of Chie's existence. She's not human anymore because of you."

"No. She's one of us now, fully and completely. Which proves that my master's creation works. Now that it's repaired, she knows exactly who she should go after next."

"You won't get a chance to complete her command. As soon as you set foot in the human world again, you're going to rot in jail for the rest of your life. You failed."

He shook his head. "You call yourself a yokai of logic, and yet you don't understand the fundamentals of an experiment? My master gained experience from my failures. That's what you get when you don't get what you want. And now," he chuckled in a whisper, "she has all the info she needs. She'll get exactly what she desires."

"And what's that," Naoto drew out the words with their own venom.

He stared back at her, into her, through her. "Everything."

Naoto's claws were out in a thought and leveled at his neck. Her voice lowered. "You can't hide in this world anymore. It's over."

"You're right. It is over." His face cracked into a mischievous grin beneath solid dark eyes, "for one of us."

Multiple saucer ceiling lights flared to life, illuminating the entire room in a wash of yellow at the sound of someone throwing a massive switch. The sudden brightness stabbed through her eyes. She squinted against it automatically for protection, shielding her face with her arm, and waited the few brief seconds for her vision to adjust. When she brought the world into focus again, she found Mitsuo still grinning in victory. The room held only one way in or out—the way she'd entered. Her heart dropped, because the light revealed more than just her only escape.

They weren't alone.

Dozens of Shadows morphed and shifted around them in a ring of pure darkness. Featureless hands greedily groped the cubed floor pulling their bulbous bodies toward the two animal demons in the center. Masks of blue, red, and gold zeroed in on them with hungry intent.

"Maya," Naoto breathed. She began to tremble. Maya were unformed Shadows. These were the monsters that hunted animal demons for food, the ones responsible for the annihilation of their class. They were the voids of humanities dark sides. Their primary desire was to consume as many animal demons as they could and use the energy from the human soul aspect within them to fill that void and transform into their complete, powerful state.

She turned 360 degrees. The room filled with their growls and snarls as they crept in like slime on the two young yokai in the center. Dozens of Maya existed between them and their escape. They were completely surrounded.

She was trapped. He'd used her pain clouding her judgement to lead her here and stalled for time.

Her tail fluffed out.

As she feared, he didn't turn himself in out of guilt. This was planned.

Mitsuo had lured her into the heart of a Shadow Den.

Panic pulsed through her body. "You tricked me."

He frowned. "I didn't want to do this. Part of me still thinks of you as a sister, but my master says you and your friends are a problem. You know it's impossible to disobey a direct command."

"Are you insane, you imbecile? You'll die here, too! Your Bonded just signed your death warrant. She doesn't love you!" Naoto kept the claws of both hands out in defense as the horde inched closer. "You're just a tool to her!"

"Wrong again," He swiped her hat from her had before she could blink and stepped back -his proof that he did the job. "She loves me. She loves me so much, that she gave me an out. You're the only one who's going to die here."

She swiped at a reaching red masked Maya that got too close.

"Did you ever wonder why that shadow that ate our teacher went after the fox first?" he growled, cautiously stepping back. "Because he's more powerful than we are. When I remembered that detail and told my Bonded, she cleared it all up for me. Maya are attracted to the strongest human soul aspect they can find. Put a bunch of us in a room with them, and they'll go for the most powerful one every single time. In this situation," He smiled, "That would be you, Naoto."

"You can't know that. You're betting our lives on a hunch," she argued. Mostly it was to keep him here and force him to help both of them escape, and partially out of curiosity.

"You like facts, Detective Prince? Here's one for you: All She had to do was touch you to gauge the level of your soul aspect's strength. You are someone's discarded sense of Justice. They gave it up, threw it away like garbage, and here you are. The human you came from is probably a criminal out there right now. I hate to admit it, but the soul aspect inside of you is stronger than the one inside of me. Every Shadow in here will go after you first. For once, it pays to be weak." He continued to step backwards. Sure enough, the closest Maya oozed around his feet, ignoring him like he was a stone in their way.

"Mitsuo!" She shredded another Maya and spun to take out a third red masked.

"Since this is the last I'll see you, I'll tell you one other fact: The fox is not a human soul aspect. He's something else. Maya would tear through each other just to get to him."

Naoto's thoughts raced to Yosuke's revelation that he still wanted to help bring Mitsuo back. "If you remember our life here before, then you remember that Yosuke stood up for you. Don't do this. You were our friend once."

"You don't remember me at all!"

"You know why!" She slashed in a combination of strikes that shredded a blue masked Maya into smoke. "The Silver Haired Man blocked our memories!"

"And your Bonded hasn't bothered to remove it! You have a name, Naoto! The command can't be removed, but it's just a stupid memory block."

That fact shot through her head. Kanji had the power to bring her memory back.

Mitsuo neared the exit, placing her hat on top of his head. "Namatame should be at that little girl's house by now. When they cross into this world, I'll give them your regards." With a smirk and a tilt of her hat, he turned tail and bolted out of the room

Namatame can cross between worlds?! "Mitsuo!" She called after him. "Dammit." She raised her hands, claws out as the shadows neared. Steeling her strength she lashed out at two of the red masked Maya, then a blue masked one. Another red one's bulbous body lurched for her. She leaped into the air, spun, and sliced up its back, destroying it. One of the blue masked Shadows snatched her foot out from under her. She cried out as she hit the floor. She rammed her foot into its face, and slashed across its arm, severing it. Another volley of scratches, and it met its end.

She scrambled to her feet and ran for the door, only to be blocked by a wall of enemies. Another larger, blue masked Maya met its end at her claws. For every Shadow she destroyed another took its place.

The gold masked Maya -the strongest ones-were waiting for her to tire herself out handling the weaker ones. She could imagine them salivating in the back impatiently waiting.

She backed up, panting. There were too many of them. Once she became too exhausted and lost control over her change skill, they would come in for the kill. Her heart raced in terror as she realized she would experience the greatest nightmare of all animal demons.

All she could think of was getting out of there and getting back to Kanji. And if she couldn't, her death would break him. It was her job to protect her Bonded. She wasn't a servant, but that was defiantly her role. He was the only family she had left. She bit her lip as tears streamed down her face.

Her teeth clenched in resolve. Terrified or not, alone and screaming inside or not, she would not let herself be eaten without a fight. Naoto curled her fingers into hooks, crouched low, and with a battle cry pulled from the depths of her soul shooting the barbs of every emotion into her prey, she charged.

\--------------  
TBC


End file.
